Touched By Love
by LuckyStars14
Summary: Tom Clarkson, thirty-seven-year-old English teacher, never thought he would fall in love again. Nicki Boston, thirty-three-year-old, ex-army Head of English, didn't think her chances of romance were too high either. When they bond over Josh's drug problem, will the unlikely couple ever admit that they are more than just friends? -Nicki/Tom-
1. Chapter 1

**_So, as you can tell, this story is about Waterloo Road. I think that Tom and Nicki would make an awesome couple (I've put all my hopes on it happening in the next series!), so I've decided to attempt a story about them. I've never tried a fan fiction before, so I hope this is okay! The story isn't going to be all Tom and Nicki- I quite liked Sian and Jez when they were together and also Trudi and Finn. This starts after Series 7, Episode 23, so all events and things (besides the massive gang thing between Finn and Tariq) that happened before that episode are still the same. Also, some details like ages and things may be slightly modified for the story. Enjoy!_**

**_Disclaimer- I own none of this!_**

**Tom's Point Of View**

It was just an ordinary day at Waterloo Road- if you could ever describe Waterloo Road as ordinary. I was sitting in the staffroom as usual, drinking coffee with Sian and Jez Diamond. Jez had recently been proven innocent of Michael's attempted murder (turns out Linda was to blame) and they were playing Happy Families again. Sometimes when I saw Sian and Jez sitting together, holding hands and whatever, I felt a twinge of jealousy... it had been several years since I had been in a serious relationship, and I sometimes felt a bit out of things. Still, I had Josh as my top priority now- and I needed to keep an eye on him, because recently he had been caught taking drugs, and I for one, did not want it to happen again.

My attention was drawn away from the newspaper when Nicki Boston, our recently-appointed Head of English and newest member of the Waterloo Road faculty, walked in. She wasn't originally going to get the job, but after a rather impressive display catching drug dealer Grady, we had decided that she was correct- and that Waterloo Road needed her.

"Hi, Tom. How's it going?" She asked.  
"It's good, thank you- how about you?"  
"Oh, alright, thanks." She smiles. "I think I'm getting used to Waterloo Road, actually."  
"That's good. It's quite a bit different to other schools."  
"I think I've noticed that- a run-in with a drug dealer before I'd even started!"  
I laugh. "That was quite a performance!"  
"Glad you think so. How is Josh, anyway?"  
"He's good, thanks for asking. I think he's over the drugs."  
"That's good. Look, I'm sorry..."  
"I know," I interrupted. "I'm glad you tried to help Josh, I just overreacted... it was scary, my son using drugs... you know?"  
"I know. Look, I've got some things I really should do before class..."  
"Ok, see you."  
"Bye."

Nicki left the room, and I continued looking at the sports results in the newspaper. The staffroom was quite full now- most of us were there, talking- or, in Grantly's case, continuously asking for answers to the crossword.  
"So, can anyone figure out the answer to eleven across? The term for the number starting with '3.1415', two letters."  
"Grantly, I thought you were a teacher?" Chalky replied, exasperated.  
"Yes, but I'm an English teacher, not maths."  
"Well, it's basic common knowledge..." Chalky began.  
"Grantly, the answer is pi." Sian interrupted.  
"Well, thank you, Mrs Diamond, at least someone is..." Grantly was cut off by the sudden ringing of the fire bell. As usual, none of us moved. It was probably a test run, or something...

Suddenly, Nicki burst into the room. "Hear anything?" She asked, sarcastically.  
"We were just getting another cup of tea, before we go out..." Chalky answered, turning back to the kettle.  
"Erm, hello? It's not a test!" Nicki said.  
"What?" I came very close to spitting out a mouthful of coffee.  
"It's somebody smoking in the toilets... two sugars, please..." Grantly's voice tailed off when he realised that we were all leaving the room.

As we walked through the corridors, none of the students were reacting to the fire bell.  
"Sorry to disturb your breakfast," Nicki glared at some boys eating, "But this IS NOT a test! Come on, everyone, get outside! Quickly!"  
"Tariq, come on- stop fighting and shift yourselves!" I yelled.  
"Excuse me! There is a fire alarm going off! Do you want us to turn it up?"  
"What's wrong with you lot? Come on, get out!"

Finally, everyone was outside and being registered. Maggie was trying to explain what had happened- apparently one of the grills had exploded.  
"It wasn't my fault!" She said, frustrated.  
"Of course it wasn't, Maggie, just calm down." Michael was trying to deal with her.  
"You try calming down- you weren't the one who nearly got killed!" "Okay," Michael smiled slightly, Maggie was very worked up.  
"I don't really think it would have killed you..."  
"I'd like to see how far you'd get, with an oven that doesn't get past gas mark three, equipment that's older than my grandma, and an exploding grill..."  
"I know, Maggie, but now is not the time to discuss this." Michael turned around, and addressed the students. "Everybody, quiet please!"

The students gradually fell silent, and they turned to look at Michael. "Thank you. Now, do any of you have any idea how long it took you to vacate the building?"  
"Thirty-four seconds?" Kyle Stack answered cheekily, making the students closest to him laugh.  
"Ha ha, very funny. Anyone else?"  
"Erm... five minutes?" Lauren guessed.  
"Not even close. It took you twelve and a half minutes, and that is NOT got enough. You are very, very lucky that it wasn't a serious fire- if it had been, some of you would be dead by now! No, it's not funny!" He glared when there were smirks and laughter. "We need to get that time down to three minutes. To do this, we have assigned student fire wardens for each year group. Will the following people please step forward: Amelia Lilywhite, Jack O'Neill, Sarah Hughes, Josh Stevenson..."  
I walked over to Josh. "Is that alright with you?" I asked.  
"Yeah, it's fine." He smiled, before following the Nicki and the other fire wardens into the hall.

* * *

Break time rolled around and we were hoping for the rest of the day to be slightly… less eventful than that morning had. It wasn't just the ringing of the fire bell- the classes were, from what I had heard and observed- very hyper and disruptive. However, our hopes of a quiet day were soon discouraged…  
"So, we've already told the fire wardens, but we will be having another fire drill this afternoon, between 2:15 and 2:30. We are expecting everyone to leave the building as quickly as possible… and that includes you." Michael looked around. "No stopping for an extra biscuit or another cup of tea. Out. Immediately."

When Michael had left the room, there was a groan. "Two fire drills in one day!" Grantly snorted. "I, for one, am not looking forward to that."  
"The kids will love it, though." Sian sighed. "Two chances for school to be disrupted- great! There's no hope for any attention to be paid to the last lesson." We all murmur our agreement- what Sian said is totally true...

Everyone was waiting with baited breath to see what would happen at that afternoon's fire drill, and when we were in classes, we were all fully alert, knowing that the fire bell was coming soon. Finally, it sprung into life, shrilling noisily. "Right! You know the drill. Everybody out!" I called, as a groan/mutter spread across my class of Year Tens. We headed out of the door in an organised fashion, and joined the stream of people who were doing (pretty much) the same. I was almost in the courtyard, when I heard someone calling my name.  
"Tom, Tom!" I turned around to see Sian running towards me.  
"Hi Sian, what's wrong?"  
"It's Josh! He… the fire bell went off, and he… I don't know, panicked, and ran outside the classroom. He started hitting the fire alarm activation button, and his hand was covered in blood, then he ran off…"  
"Where? Where did he go?" I asked.  
"In the direction of the staffroom, I think."  
"Thanks!" I dashed off, against the crowd of students, to the staffroom.

"Tom! Where are you going?" I heard a voice behind me, it was Nicki. I sighed- it's not that I don't like her; I'd just rather tackle Josh on my own.  
"I'm going to find Josh…" I quickly filled her in on what had happened. Soon we were in the staffroom. Josh was sitting down, leaning against the wall. He had his head in one hand, and the other was tucked under his arm.  
"Josh! Are you alright, son?" I asked.  
"I guess trying to act like a normal person failed…" I heard his muffled voice. Guiltily, I thought back to lunchtime…

_-Flashback-  
"Dad! How am I meant to remember all of the emergency exits for the fire drill? I wish I wasn't a fire warden! They're trying to make me feel included, but I don't want to be! I just want to be treated like everyone else!"  
"Stop moaning, Josh. And if you want to be treated normally, you'd better start acting like a normal person!"  
Josh looked at me, his eyes full of betrayal and hurt. Then, he spun on his heel and rushed out of the canteen.  
"Josh!" I yelled, but he didn't turn back…  
-End of flashback-_

"Josh, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it. Please, look at me…" He looks up and gives me a half-smile, despite his red-rimmed eyes. Oh, Josh…  
"Now, let's see your hand." He slowly lifts his hand up, and Nicki and I both gasp simultaneously. His hand is covered in dark, drying blood, and he sleeve is blood-stained as well. At a closer look, there are several cuts- more like gashes- that have shards of glass in. Ouch. Nicki, who's seen all of this and much more in the army, reaches for the first-aid kit, getting out bandages and tweezers. She then carefully picks the glass out of his hand- showing no sign of squeamishness. A lot of women would be fainting at this much blood, but not Nicki...

Finally, after some grimaces from me and a lot of wincing from Josh, his hand is glass-free and bandaged up. We get someone to fetch Lauren, and we send him back to class with her. The staffroom is deserted apart from Nicki and me- everyone else is busy. "Thanks, Nicki." I said, extremely grateful.  
"There's no way that I could have cleaned up Josh's hand like that."  
"No problem."  
"I don't know what's got into Josh lately." I sighed. "He's been acting really weirdly, since, well, since the drugs, really."  
"Maybe… no, never mind."  
"What? Tell me."  
"Maybe you should take him to a doctor. Or a psychiatrist. Drugs can do nasty things to a person."  
I thought about it for a moment, before speaking again. "Yeah… I think you're right."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hi everyone! Here is chapter two! I'm sorry if it's rubbish, but I had major writers block for most of it!  
Thank you everyone who reviewed my first chapter! I seriously wasn't expecting that many people to like my story! Thanks so much! You are all very awesome! :D**_

Walking into work the next morning, I wondered again how Josh was. I also wondered what the psychiatrist had said. Hopefully there's nothing seriously wrong, although drugs can do horrible, horrible things...

As I entered the staffroom, I saw that only Tom and Sian were in there. "Hi, Tom." I said.  
"Oh, hi, Nicki." Tom replied. I notice that he looks tired, and slightly stressed.  
"Sleepless night, huh?" I say, sympathetically. I've had my fair share of those...  
"Yeah, I guess you could say that."  
"So... did you go to the psychiatrist in the end? How was it?"  
"Not great, I'm afraid... they said that Josh probably has schizophrenia."  
"Really?" I asked, in disbelief.  
"Apparently so."  
"Is it... because of the drugs?"  
"No. The psychiatrist said that he would have got schizophrenia anyway. The drugs just brought it on earlier."  
"Oh, Tom... has he been given medication?"  
"Yes."  
"Have you talked to him about it?" I notice Tom looking a little sheepish. "Does he even know about his condition?"  
"Er... no, I haven't told him yet."  
"Tom! If he has medication, anyone could see the brand and wonder what's wrong with him! They can find out anything over the Internet! You should tell him what's wrong, he has the right to know!"  
"Look, he's my son, and I'll do what I damn well please with regards to raising him!" Tom snaps.  
I look at him, in disbelief. "Sorry for caring!" I yell, turning around and running out of the room. I suspect that he may try to follow me, so I go into the female staff toilets. There is no way that Tom can follow me in here...

I lean against the wall, sighing. Life can be so complicated. I was only trying to help, and my reward is a mouthful of abuse. That little voice in my head isn't helping, it's saying 'maybe you deserved it'. Shut up, conscience! I'm trying to feel sorry for myself here! Sometimes, I'm my own worst enemy...

I stay in the toilets until someone else comes in, and then I pretend to be washing my hands, before returning to the staffroom. Tom isn't there, and I'm glad. I don't really want a massive argument with him in front of everyone. I talk to Sian instead, and then I go back to my classroom. Once there, I find a note on my desk, addressed to me in messy writing. I open it, and laugh when I see what is written there: 'Oh, so you're avoiding me, are you? If you're going to be like that, so be it. Two can play at that game. First one to crack. Tom'  
Tom Clarkson, you do not know what you're getting yourself into...  
It's on.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Hi everyone! Again, I've been super pleased with the reviews for the previous chapter! Yay! I wasn't expecting to upload this early, I was hoping to have the chapter done by Thursday or Friday, but my after-school club was rescheduled for lunchtime so I had 3 hours extra free time today! Anyway, I hope you enjoy. As always, any feedback is greatly appreciated- and I'd love to see who you think will win! :)_**

**Tom's Point Of View**

Why does Nicki have to be so difficult? When I went to find her, I was intending to say sorry, however, Nicki decided to play hide and seek. Now we're in some competition of who will crumble first. Is it just me, or is this really, really immature?

I look over my class of Year Eights, who are trying to write poetry. Some are succeeding, but most... are not. Let's just say that this class isn't the most talented. A majority of the group is chatting, but I don't really mind that (at least there aren't any paper planes involved... yet). I do a quick walk around the room to make sure that everyone is okay, and that at least some connection between pen and paper has been made, and then I return to my desk. Again, my thoughts drift back to Nicki... I am slightly annoyed and angry, yet rather amused at our current situation. This is just so abnormal. How many times have I been in this situation before? None, that's the answer.

"Er... Mr Clarkson?" I hear a quiet voice to my left, and I jump slightly. Standing there is one of the girls from my class, Leah. Guiltily, I realise that she's been there for a few minutes. And I didn't notice her, because (and I hate to admit this) I was daydreaming. About Nicki Boston. Great, I am so gonna lose this competition...  
"Yes, Leah?" I say to the girl, smiling and trying to make up for ignoring her.  
"Well... I finished my poem." She says, nervously handing me her exercise book. I read the poem, and it's very good, especially as this is one of the lower sets. "This is great, Leah. You should be very proud of yourself. Do you want to write another poem?" She nods and walks back to her desk, beaming. I'm glad that at least one of the class is learning something in my lesson.

Finally, the bell goes for break, and the class leaves. I clear up and then head to the staffroom. Nicki is there, of course, but I head to the other side of the staffroom and grab a random newspaper. I'm pretty submerged when Sian comes over.  
"Hey, Tom, what's up with you and Nicki?" She asks, teasingly.  
"We've fallen out, okay?" "Over what happened this morning? Surely not!"  
"Er... yes."  
"Well." She raises her eyebrows. "I can't see this lasting long."  
"Shut up, I can hold a grudge!"  
"I'll believe that when I see it!"

While I'm walking back to my classroom, I think about what Sian said. True, I'm not the best at holding a grudge (okay, I'm pretty bad). But still... I want to win this competition! Maybe I'll have to make Nicki talk to me, before I can crack and talk to her. But how? There must be a way! After giving my next class their task, I sit back at my desk and start to plan...


	4. Chapter 4

_**So... I know I said to some of you that I wouldn't be uploading till tomorrow, due to the fact that I'm meant to only use the Internet for homework today, but... hey, I feel like being rebellious :D I hope you enjoy the chapter, it's still not massively long but it's a little longer than the others! **_

**Nicki's Point Of View**

Lunchtime came and went, and I had a lesson with Year Nine to look forward to. I was planning for it to be the kind of lesson where I gave a little introduction and then they had a task, rather than me speaking to them the whole way through. I went into the classroom, and was turning on the projector when I saw a note, that had been under the projector remote. I opened it up... and frowned. It said: 'don't look behind you'.

Of course I turned around, and I nearly had a heart attack when I found myself face-to-face with a moving image of some demon thing that was being projected onto the board. Literally, it was five inches away from my face! "Damn!" I cursed, rubbing my back from where I had bashed into the desk backwards. This had to have something to do with Tom... my guess is that he's trying to scare me so I'll speak to him! Well, that's not going to work! If he thinks that I am girly and wimpy enough to be scared by some fake monster, he can bloody well think again! Some people, honestly!

I had to go back to the staffroom to get some folders, and I made sure that I shot a sweet smile in Tom's direction. If I was marking that trick out of ten, it would score zero... he really must try harder...

* * *

It had been four school days since we had fallen out, and I was quite impressed that Tom had actually managed to bear a grudge that long. From what I had heard, he wasn't good at that at all. However, despite the success of the grudge, the tricks just got ever more pathetic and childish. Whoopee cushions (so original). Stink bombs (I blamed it on the drains, then left the room so my class had to sit in it alone. Mwahaha). A real spider in the desk drawer (please, he thinks I'm arachnophobic?! No way!) I was honestly getting bored with the childish tricks that kept getting played on me. Tom needs to do something that will actually provoke a response- ie, something interesting. Maybe I just cursed myself there. Oops.

And, it was quite funny, because Tom had put a wastepaper bin on top of the door, and instead of getting me, it fell on Grantly! He had gone into my room to borrow some textbooks, and he was very unimpressed when he got attacked by bits of paper and apple cores. He had been moaning about it nearly all week, and Tom had had to grovel to him. Our argument was now very well known throughout the school- Waterloo Road does have a very overactive gossip system...

* * *

First thing on a Tuesday morning. Year Eleven. Not a lesson that I am extremely enthusiastic about. I had to start the lesson by yelling at them, and I spent about five minutes trying to get them to line up along the corridor. Eventually, I decided that I couldn't waste any more time, so I opened the door...

Whoosh! As soon as the door opened, a bucketful of freezing cold water fell on me, soaking me from head to foot. I stood in the doorway, dripping and gasping, while the Year Elevens laughed behind me.  
"Miss? Are you okay?" Asked Rhona and Shona worriedly.  
"Don't worry, I'm fine." I said through gritted teeth. "Go in, and chat amongst yourselves while I go and get this sorted out."

I stormed into the staffroom, making Matt, the only one in there, jump. "Oh my God, Nicki! What has happened to you? Water bombs or something?" He said, trying to hide a grin.  
"It's not funny! And no, it wasn't water bombs, it was a container of water balanced on top of the door."  
"Oh, a classic prank! Do you have any ideas who it was?"  
"I don't have ideas, I know exactly who it was."  
"Who?"  
"Tom Clarkson."  
"What, really?"  
"Yes. He's been playing tricks on me for ages."  
"Oooooh... I get it. You going to report him to Byrne?"  
"Nope, in fact, I fully intend to pay Tom back for this."  
"Well, you do that. Anyway, what are you going to do about your wet clothes?"  
"Thankfully, after anticipating that Waterloo Road could throw anything at me, I keep a spare change of clothes in the car."  
"Okay. I'd better let you get sorted out, then."

Whilst I was walking to the car, I was already plotting how I would pay Tom back. Mark my words, I will get my revenge...


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sorry for the late upload, I've been very busy, and I've only just managed to finish the chapter! I probably should be revising for my Italian speaking assessment but oh well, I have the weekend for that (I am so going to fail XD). Enjoy!**_

**Nicki's Point Of View (again!)**

The next day, I'm quite cheerful when I go to work. I have a plan for my revenge, and I have the means to carry out said plan. I'm hoping that this might mark the end of the Clarkson-Boston feud!

I walk into Tom's classroom. The majority of his class is there already, but only a few people look at me when I walk in. They're all expecting me to pick up some textbooks or something. "Miss? Where's Mr Clarkson? Is he okay?" Asks one of the girls.  
"Yes, he's alright. But, I'm wondering if you guys can help me..."

* * *

Later, I'm in my classroom. First lesson has started, but Tom isn't with his class yet. He's late, I made sure of that- to give us enough time to prepare the trick. Now, every time I hear male footsteps in the corridor, I tense, wondering if it's Tom, but he hasn't gone past yet. Shame, I can't wait for him to come face-to-face with revenge.

Finally, just as I'm getting bored and wondering whether Tom has managed to avoid the trick, he rushes past, holding armfuls of papers. I hold my breath, waiting... and sure enough, several seconds later, the door opens, there is a crash, and the sound of Tom yelling. I pretend to be confused by the noise, and I step into the corridor. Tom is standing in the doorway, papers on the floor, dripping with green slime! Yes! I used his water-on-the-door trick, but I substituted the water for slime that I had made last night (this might be a warning not to try my cooking!). At the sight of Tom, I burst out laughing, and he turns around. Our classes run from the rooms and collapse into hysterics in the corridor. The scene is not dissimilar to a riot.

"Nicki!" Tom hisses, and I stop my laughing fit for long enough to gasp "Ha ha, I win!" "This. Is not. Funny." "Oh, but..." I gestured at both of our classes, who are laughing. "... they certainly think so!" Tom is staring daggers at me, and is just about retaliate, when suddenly Michael shoves through the crowd of students. A very cross Michael. "What on Earth is going on here?"  
The students fall silent, and Tom and I both look at Michael. I'm still choking back laughter. "Mr Clarkson, Miss Boston, you'd better come with me. You lot, get inside the classroom. NOW!" Tom and I follow Michael down the corridor, feeling like kids that have been caught doing something they shouldn't have been doing. Tom has finally realised the funny side of my prank, and we're both struggling to keep straight faces.

"Right." Michael says, slamming the door to his office. "What is going on?" "Er..." Neither of us really know how to start. "Well, I take it that it's something to do with the little disagreement you've been having lately." We both nod, and Michael sighs, looking at us seriously. "Tom, Nicki, you are both adults. You are here to teach and inspire young people, and to do this, you need to act in a professional and mature manner. If you're going to act like you are, you may as well join your classes instead of teaching them! You need to put this argument aside and not let it interfere with your work life. We will have no more of this silly, immature behaviour where you are playing tricks on each other. You are not setting a very good example to the students, not at all." "Come on, admit it, Michael, it was quite funny!" I say. Michael smirks slightly. "Ok, it was slightly funny, but it wasn't funny to find two classes having some sort of uproar in the corridor!" "I agree. I think we should let bygones be bygones. This argument ends, once and for all." Tom turns to me. "Deal?" "Deal." We shake hands. "Well, I'm glad to hear it. Anyway, back to your classes- oh, and Tom? You might want to go and clean up." "Yes." We walk out of the room, immediately giggling like naughty schoolkids.

"I'm sorry, Tom, for sliming you." I laugh. "And I'm sorry for drenching you. This really was a petty argument, wasn't it?" "Unbelievably petty." "Oh well. Let's be friends again, Nicki." Tom offers me his pinky finger. "Oh God, SO primary school!" I sigh, but we link fingers and 'pinky promise'. "I feel like a six-year-old now." "Well, you don't look it!" "Thanks, Tom, are you saying I look old?" "Well..." He couldn't finish his sentance because I had shoved him against the wall. "Oh, just you wait!" He said, as we sprinted down the corridor...


	6. Chapter 6

**Tom's Point Of View**

"Hey, Nicki, looking forward to invigilating the GCSE English exam next?"  
"Are you kidding, it's going to be the best thing I've done all week!" Nicki replies, sarcastically.  
"Yeah, wandering around the hall, making sure that the kids don't cheat- which they will, there's always one. Going to place any bets as to who it is this time?"  
"Betting with me again, Tom? We all know what happened last time!"  
I smile ruefully. On the day of the fun run, I had mistakenly bet that I could beat Nicki. That bet left me with a slightly bruised ego and a wallet 25 lighter (she would want champagne, wouldn't she?). "Okay, I'm not making any bets, but I have a few names in mind..."  
"You'd better keep an eye on them."  
"Yep, and I'll be keeping an eye on Josh. Did he give in his video?"  
"He did, in good time, too. He seems to be getting on well."  
"Yes, he is. Let's hope it stays that way."

I follow her out of the staffroom and towards the canteen, where students are pushing and shoving, wanting to be first in the queue for school dinners.  
"I didn't think that canteen food was worth fighting over!" I joke.  
"Nope, neither did I." She smiles. "Uh, boys? Stop it, please." They sidle back into line, and we join the end of the fairly long queue.  
"After you," I say to Nicki.  
"Thank you. How very gentlemanly!"  
"That's alright. I do try and maintain good manners."  
"I don't know if going first is necessarily a good thing, though. It depends on what's on offer."  
"And what is on offer?"  
She cranes her neck to look. "Er... curry, what looks like fish pie and some sort of pasta bake. And chips, yummy."  
"Huh. By the time we get there, there will probably be no chips left."

I was right and wrong. There were some chips left and I thought it looked enough for two portions, but sadly, it turned out that there was only one portion left. Nicki got curry and chips, smirking at the rest of us in the queue as she flounced off to get a table. I decided that pasta bake was the next best option, so I chose that and went to sit down, opposite Nicki. When I thought she wasn't looking, I tried to grab some chips off her plate, but unfortunately, she was looking, and she slapped my hand away.  
"Oy- get your own bloody chips!"  
"I would, but there aren't any left!" She smirked again and I rolled my eyes, muttering something along the lines of 'smug cow'.  
"Excuse me? Say that again, Mr Clarkson, and I will slap you for real."  
"Ooh. Bet you slap like a girl anyway."  
"Do you wanna test that theory? Because I'd be more than happy to." She hissed menacingly, glaring at me.  
"Nope, think I'll pass."  
"Knew it! Scaredy cat!"  
"I am not..."  
"Yes you are."  
"I am not!"  
"Yes you are!"  
"I am not."  
"Come on, we both know that I'm right and that you are in fact a scaredy cat. End of story." I sigh. There is no point of me arguing with Nicki, she is so stubborn that she refuses to accept that she's wrong.

I suddenly notice Josh, walking in the direction of the canteen exit.  
"Hi, son! You all ready for your exam?" I ask.  
"Yes, 'course I am."  
"Try to get in some last minute revision, okay?"  
"Yeah, whatever. You worry too much, Dad..." Josh trails off and follows Lauren, Finn and Trudi out of the canteen. I turn back to Nicki, who is looking slightly worried.  
"These kids are far too hyper. They'll never settle down in the exam." She says.  
"Don't worry, they're just letting off some steam. I'd rather they do it now than in an hours' time!"  
"I guess so. But it feels strange, somehow- almost like trouble is brewing."  
"No, it's going to be fine."  
But of course I spoke too soon...

A puddle of spilt water, waiting to be mopped up; plus a girl carrying a lunch tray. Something tells me that this particular equation spells disaster. And it does. The poor Year 7 stood on the wet patch, slipped, and ended up on the floor, her lunch over a group of Year 9's, who were not very pleased. They sat, covered in food, and it only took one Year 10 boy yelling 'Food fight!' for the canteen to descend into chaos. Food was flying everywhere, kids were standing up and yelling at the tops of their voices.  
"Stop it! Oy, you lot! Stop!" We yelled, but it did nothing. They ignored us, and when Michael came in, he found us taking cover in the kitchen, trying in vain to stop the fight.  
"Right! Stop it at once! To the cooler, the lot of you!" Michael said, rounding up the kids and herding them out. We emerged from the kitchen, brushing off bits of food off our clothes. I pick out a stray piece of pasta that was in Nicki's hair, and she smiles gratefully.  
"Told you trouble was brewing, didn't I?" "I guess so."

Half-an-hour, sore arms and a cleaner canteen later (we decided to help out Maggie due to the fact that we weren't much use stopping the food fight), and we are letting the students into the hall.  
"Put your bags at the back of the room and then find your seat, alphabetical order. No talking." We instruct them. Josh walks past and I try to catch his eye, but his eyes stay firmly glued to the floor. I think nothing of it and shift my attention to the others as they walk in, making sure that they maintain the silence that we have asked for.

Once the majority of the students are in the hall, we step inside, taking up our various positions to invigilate the exam. It's Nicki, Michael and I, along with some external invigilators. We watch as a few latecomers trickle in, making sure that people don't bring phones or any other banned items to their desks. A lot of the kids are wearing food-stained uniforms, a lingering reminder of the food fight. Finally, everyone is in the room, and we shut the doors. Michael steps to the front of the room, and says "Right then, you have an hour. You may begin."

There is a flurry of papers turning over and then quiet settles over the room. All you can hear is pens scratching and people moving, occasionally sighing. We pace around the room, checking every student's paper to make sure there are no cheaters. After about 5 minutes, I notice that Josh is just sitting there, and I go over to Nicki, who had been monitoring Josh's area of the room.  
"Has Josh started his paper yet?" I whisper. Nicki shakes her head, looking worried, and I frown. This isn't good.

Fifteen minutes pass, and Josh still doesn't start his paper. I head over to the other side of the room, trying to ignore it and concentrate on everyone else, but the sound of gasps makes me turn around. Josh is lying on the floor with his test paper! I walk over to him quickly. People are muttering and getting up, despite the exam conditions.  
"Josh? What is it, son? Come on, you'll be fine- we just need to get you back to your desk."  
"What's wrong with him?" Michael asks.  
"I... I don't know. We need to get him out of here." I reach out to help Josh get up, but he leaps backwards at my touch.  
"Don't touch me!" He yells, and the watching students gasp 'oh my God!'. Josh storms out of the room and Nicki and I follow him. Michael tells the other kids to go back to their desks before he leaves the room too.

"Josh, what's going on?" I ask, kneeling by where Josh has sunk to the floor. "Come on, talk to me!"  
"Stop..." Josh whimpers, quietly.  
"You're okay, aren't you? Come on, it's fine... Josh, tell me!"  
"I'm scared."  
"What? Scared of what, son? Exams, pressure...?"  
"No, no, no, can't you see? I've got the plague!" He thrusts forward his arms, and I notice that his shirt sleeves are specked with blood.

Suddenly, we hear the echo of high heels and Lauren bursts out from the hall.  
"Lauren! Back into the exam, please!" Michael tells her sternly.  
"No, I can't... I should have said earlier. Josh has stopped taking his medication!"  
I stand up. "Since when?"  
"I dunno... a week ago?"  
"Josh! Why had you stopped taking..."  
"Dad, please make it stop! Make them go away! I don't like it!"  
"Make who go away?"  
"Can't you hear them?"  
"Hear what, son?"  
"That nursery rhyme, the one about the plague... they've been singing it all day! Do you hear it too, it's 'ring a ring o' roses, ring a ring o' roses'..."  
"Come here, son..."  
"No!" Josh cries, outraged, throwing me off him. "You're gonna catch something, can't you see?"  
"Please, Josh..." I say, stepping back, not sure what to do. My son's in a state and I have no idea how to help him! I dither, and then hear the shriek of an ambulance siren coming near. "Who called an ambulance?" I yell.  
"I did." Nicki speaks from the other side of the corridor. "It's for his own sake, Tom."  
I nod, stepping closer to Josh. "It's going to be okay, Josh, come on..."

When Josh finally lets me lead him outside, it seems like the whole school have gathered to watch what happens. I don't think they're doing it in a mean way, they're just concerned. At first, Josh doesn't notice the ambulance, but when he does see it, his eyes widen in fear.  
"What's happening to me?" He asks, his voice shaking.  
"Josh, you're safe, you're going to be okay."  
"But I don't want to go."  
"Please, son... it's for the best."  
"Dad..." Josh struggles, but we're at the ambulance now and the paramedic reaches out to help me. We both get into the ambulance, and I look back outside. The students all look upset, and Lauren and a few others are actually crying. Michael and Nicki both look worried, and as I look at her, we make eye contact. 'It'll be okay', she says silently. I give her a slight smile, and then the ambulance doors close, locking us in.


	7. Chapter 7

_**I haven't had Internet, as some of you know, for four days while I was on holiday, so today I'm uploading three chapters at once. I was tempted to upload the rest tomorrow, so you guys would have to wait on a cliffhanger... but I'm too nice for that! **_

**Tom's Point Of View**

There was a knock at the door while Josh and I were having breakfast. Neither of us moved. "I'll get the door, then, son?" I said, jokingly.  
"Well, you need to keep up the exercise, don't you? Sitting at your desk all day!" Josh joked back.  
"Less of the cheek!" I headed towards the door, and opened it. "Oh, hello, Finn."  
"Hi, sir. Is Josh there?"  
"Yes, he is. Josh! It's Finn!" Josh walked into the hallway, holding half a piece of toast. "You may as well have answered the door yourself!"  
"Yeah, oh well. You can clear the table now!"  
"Thanks, son. Always so keen to do the housework, aren't you? Oh, and Josh- tuck your shirt in, you look like a mess!" I walked towards the kitchen and I saw Josh pull a face at my back. "Oy! I saw that!"  
"Of course you would, you're a teacher, you've got eyes in the back of your head!"

In the kitchen, I looked at the table and sighed. Cereal bowls, newspapers, coursework folders, marking... you name it, it was on the table. They were originally in neat piles, but after two weeks of Josh being let off his chores, the house was looking like a bomb had hit it... and the table was the least of my worries. I cleared away the breakfast stuff, but when I picked up a pile of paper, it knocked a pot of pens all over the floor. Great, more to tidy up. I started to pick up the pens, when Josh stuck his head in the door. "Dad, I'm going to school with Finn."  
"Okay- behave! You don't want trouble on your first day!"  
"I will. Oh, and great job tidying up the kitchen." Josh smirked. "Bye."  
"So helpful..." I muttered.

* * *

Half-an-hour later, I am driving to work, still feeling slightly guilty because of the Year 10 essays that nearly ended up in the bin. I now have a tidy kitchen table, even though the rest of the house still resembles World War Three. It's a start, I guess. Maybe I can get Josh to help me with the tidying tonight. Fat chance, he'll probably be out with Finn or Lauren or someone, taking advantage of his freedom after being house-bound for the last fortnight. Today's his first day back at school, and I'll be keeping an eye on him. Too many things have happened to my son recently!

I get out of the car, and notice Nicki walking across the car park. I smile and wait for her. We've got so much closer recently. Nicki's always the first one to ask about Josh; to offer when I need help; to joke or say something to cheer me up; to reassure me when I'm convinced that I'm a rubbish dad... when I needed someone, she was there for me, and I'm grateful for that. Any awkwardness or resentment that was there from our previous arguments has gone, and I'm glad. It's so much nicer to be on friendly terms with Nicki, she's a great person to know.

"Hi, Tom! Josh's first day back?"  
"Yep. I hope he's okay."  
"He'll be okay- he's got Lauren and Finn, they're good friends."  
"I'll take your word for it." I grin. Sometimes, good friends can make a world of difference.

We walk to the staffroom together, chatting and laughing, and then take our seats, ready for the staff meeting. Soon, the staffroom is full, and Michael comes in. "Morning, everyone." He says. He starts the meeting, talking about budgets and behaviour and exams, the normal spiel. But he then smiles. "Now, I am pleased to announce that we have had a lot of interest in the battlefields trip, and we have decided to go ahead with the trip. We will be taking 45 students to France and Belgium to see historic sights related to the First World War. The trip will run from Friday until Sunday. Ben and I will both be going, as we are organising the trip, but we will need two other staff members to come with us. Is anybody interested?"  
There are various murmours. Going on a school trip with Waterloo Road may as well be a death sentance. The kids would no doubt get into some sort of trouble, we would most likely lose someone, and we would probably be banned from going to the hotel, and possibly the country, ever again.

"Yeah, I'll do it." I find myself saying. Well, it would be interesting, and as Josh had wanted to go on that trip, it would be another chance to keep an eye on him.  
Michael grinned. "Great! Now, we need one of you women to get involved. You know, for the girls' pastoral care..." He trailed off, noticing a united shaking of heads from the female faculty. "Oh, come on! Sian?"  
"I can't go, Michael, or else that'll be all three of the heads and deputys away."  
"Oh yeah. Anybody else? Diane?" Diane, who taught maths, shook her head. "Louise? Nicki?"  
Nicki looked up. "Okay. No problem."  
"Good! So, I'll give you the details at a later date, when we confirm the numbers, and we'll have to have a meeting... got a lot of paperwork to look forward to!" A laugh went around the room. Everybody else was VERY glad not to have extra paperwork. People started trickling away to their registration groups, muttering about last-minute marking and troublesome classes. The usual moans and groans. Nicki and I walked out together, as our rooms were next to each other.  
"Looks like we're going to the battlefields in October, then?" She grinned.  
"It's going to be good. The history is interesting, and it's a challenge..."  
"Oh, we're always up for a challenge!"

* * *

Later on, at lunch, we're sitting in the staffroom. Grantly, as usual, is glued to his racing post. Sian and Jez are animatedly discussing something. I'm marking Year Eight work. All is calm, all is peaceful. But, being Waterloo Road, not for long...

Nicki bursts in, making her usual dramatic entrance. But today, the entrance isn't purely drama. "Guess what I just found?" She asks, and she sounds serious. Something's going on...  
"Some people having it off in a cupboard?" Grantly asks, not lifting his eyes from the newspaper.  
"Yes, actually. Kyle and Shelby, in the supplies cupboard." She pauses. "But that's not all. Look at this." Nicki says, holding up a pot, which contained bright blue liquid.  
"Vodka shots?" I exclaim, reading the label.  
"Evidently so. It was on the floor, fallen out of a backpack. And guess who's selling it?"  
"Hmm, I'm guessing a certain Mr Stack. That means..."  
"... locker search." Nicki finishes off my sentance.

Chalky, Nicki and I find Kyle, Tariq, and surprisingly, Harley. Kyle and Tariq, we would expect, but Harley... he's not usually a troublemaker.  
"Okay, Harley, you're up first. Keys?" Nicki says. Harley hands her the keys and points sullenly towards a locker. Nicki opens it... and it's clear. Just some books and a PE kit. "Thank you, Harley. Kyle, you're next." Kyle hands Nicki the keys and points to another locker. Nicki opens it, and guess what we find. Several packs of the vodka. Surprise surprise.  
"Impossible! It's... it's a stitch-up!"  
Nicki snorts. "Yeah, course it is."  
"Someone. Set. Me. Up." Kyle snarls.  
"You, young man, are going to see Mr Byrne." Nicki says, reaching for Kyle. Kyle dodges away, swinging his arm... and punching Nicki in the face. She gasps, backing into the lockers, hand over her nose. Chalky and I grab for Kyle, while Tariq makes a run for it. We can talk to him later. I look over my shoulder as we start to drag Kyle to Michael's office.  
"Nicki? Are you okay?" I ask, concerned.  
"It's just a nose bleed. I've seen worse." Nicki says, voice muffled under a tissue. We walk to Michael's office, and Janeece leaps up, alarmed.  
"Go straight through!" She says worridly.

When we walk into the office, Michael looks serious. "What happened? Mr Chalk, take Kyle out there and wait." He waits until the door shuts behind them. "What happened? Are you okay, Nicki?"  
"Just a nose bleed." She says.  
"Nicki found Kyle and Shelby making out in the supplies cupboard. Not too serious, but this is what she found on the floor. Vodka." I hold up the shot.  
"Kyle's selling it, I presume?" Michael says dryly.  
"Yes. We found it in his locker. Nicki tried to bring him to your office and he went for her, as you can see, which ended up with Chalky and myself restraining him."  
"Right." Michael says, slowly. "This will mean suspension. And as he's not coming back to the sixth form, it looks like we'll have seen the last of Kyle Stack."  
"We'll leave you to break the news to him." I say, and we walk out. Nicki still looks pretty shaken, and now the nosebleed has stopped, I can see a bruise forming on her nose. "Are you sure you're okay?" I ask. I don't want her to be hurt or upset.  
"Yes, I'm fine. Really!" She says, trying to smile.  
"Do... do you want to come round for a takeaway later?"  
"Er, okay... as long as Josh will be alright with it."  
"Don't worry about Josh, he'll be fine. And if he's not, no dinner for him!"  
"Ok, sure. Thanks, Tom." Nicki says, smiling for real.  
"That's okay." I say, and I mean it. Nothing is too much trouble... if I'm doing it for Nicki.


	8. Chapter 8

**Josh's Point Of View**

There's only two weeks left of term now. That means, two weeks and we're free from school for another seven weeks! Of course, I don't have a complete break from school... Dad's a teacher, and I'll never be away from him, I'm not going back to Mum's... and then Dad'll be doing school stuff at the end of the holidays... and Miss Boston keeps appearing round at our house too. Well, I say appearing, as if she's apparating to our house. No, Dad invites her over, for a takeaway or something. Once he cooked a meal. On a Thursday night. He. Actually. Cooked. A. Meal. Yeah, something's definitely going on there...

Right now, I'm waiting in the courtyard, for the buses that are going to take the whole school to a museum, or those who want to go, anyway. In these last two weeks of term, there are a few trips to different places, the museum and the country park and Alton Towers. Alton Towers was definately being looked forward to the most. We don't have much, if any, work to do now, even in lessons we just watch films or chat. Or we go outside and sunbathe if it's nice. It's great... no work, spending the day with your friends...

"Hey, mate."  
Speaking of friends, that's Finn. We have a little group, Lauren and Finn and Trudi and me. Tariq isn't best pleased that Finn and Trudi are going out, but they're a really good couple... Tariq'll get used to it. In the next millenium or so. Maybe.  
"Hi, Finn."  
"You sitting next to me on the bus?"  
"Yeah, but aren't you sitting next to Trudi?"  
"Nah, she's sitting next to Lauren. Can't spend all the time with your girlfriend, can you?"  
"Nope."

Dad and the other teachers start yelling, telling us to get out of the way so the buses can come in. Most of us follow their instuctions, but some prats stay in the middle of the road. Well, let them get run over. We then get on the bus, and there is faffing to do the registers and to make sure that everyone is there. There's always faffing on school trips, 'cos we can't lose anyone. And even after the faffing, we usually lose someone anyway. It's a laugh.

Soon the bus is on it's way, and Finn and I have turned around to chat with Lauren and Trudi. The teachers on the bus are Chalky, Grantly and some randomers. They aren't really paying attention to us, they're chatting and trying to pretend we're not there. They haven't noticed some people swapping seats and chucking stuff at each other, so they won't notice us turning around.  
"So, Finn, how's life?" Lauren asks.  
"Good, thanks." Finn says.  
"Trudi, how's life?"  
"It's great, thank you."  
"And Josh, how's life?"  
"Life's very busy, playing on the Playstation, putting up with Dad and Miss Boston for the third night in a row..."  
"What? Miss Boston?" Lauren giggles.  
"Yeah! She's always round our house."  
"Ooooh! Your Dad and Boston!"  
"Don't go spreading it, Lauren. They're not doing anything yet..."  
"Bet they are. When you aren't watching!"  
"Yuck, don't put that picture in my head!"  
"Clarkson and Boston, sitting in a tree..." Lauren sings. I ignore her. Sometimes, that's the best way to do it. Ignore her and she'll shut up, soon enough.

Finally, we arrive at the museum, and we are told, two or three times, that we have to stay in our groups and not wander off. There are 15 groups, each with their own teacher, paired with a tour guide to go around the museum. I'm in group 12, Mrs Diamond's group, with Lauren. Finn and Trudi are in Dad's group, I think. Mr Byrne tells us to behave ourselves, and then we are off. Waterloo Road has entered the museum.

**Tom's Point Of View**

It's been an hour and a half, and the kids are getting a bit bored wandering around the museum. We have half an hour until lunch, and they are convinced that if they run through the museum at lightning speed, they'll get lunch earlier. However, that's not the case. We can only move slowly, one part at a time, while the tour guide speaks. The kids are basically asleep on their feet, which I think is a bit unfair on the tour guide. What she's saying isn't boring, it's just... hyper kids and two-hour-long tours don't really mix. As we move onto the next section, I hear some of the kids remarking that they want something, anything to happen to make it a bit more exciting.

Suddenly, the fire alarm starts blaring, and the tour guide looks surprised and slightly nervous. "This isn't a practise alarm." She says. "We have to exit slowly and carefully."  
The kids cheer up, babbling excitedly as they walk to the nearest staircase. They got their excitement, all right. As we reach the staircase, the lights flicker once... and go out, leaving us in pitch black on the fire escape stairs. A lot of the girls start screaming.  
"Calm down!" I raise my voice. "Stop screaming, be sensible. The emergancy lighting will kick in, in a minute or so."

Sure enough, it does. There is dim light, and we can make our way downstairs, and into the foyer, the fire meeting point. The teachers assemble, and we count the kids. Everyone's there, apart from Nicki's group, and Michael's getting in a state, wondering where they are. Suddenly, they pour into the foyer. We count the kids, and they're all there... but not Nicki. The others haven't seemed to notice, they're trying to organise the kids back into their groups so we can get them out of the way, onto the buses. I go over to Nicki's group, and ask them when they last saw her. They say that she had gone off to the loo just before the fire alarm went off, and she hadn't reappeared. I start to panic- she could be hurt, or stuck in the fire! I look around at the chaos in the foyer, and then I disentangle myself away from the group, dodge away... and sprint down the corridor, determined to find Nicki...  
Before it's too late.


	9. Chapter 9

**Nicki's Point Of View**

There's smoke, and I can't see properly. I stuggle to get out of the corridor, because it's starting to get too smoky and warm, and I fear that the fire is somewhere near. I cough, covering my face, trying to keep going, even though my head starts spinning. Suddenly, something pushes me back. I stumble, and my head hits the floor. Then it goes black.

**Tom's Point Of View**

I look on one of the maps on the wall, locate where I am going, and start to hurry there. A thousand questions are going through my mind. Is Nicki okay? Why couldn't she get outside? What's happened to her? Why her? Each step I take, I know that I must find Nicki, I must.

As I go down the corridor towards the toilets, smoke begins to cloud the air. It's difficult to breathe, the thick, acrid smoke filling my lungs. I put my arm over my mouth and nose, breathing in the familiar smell of fabric softener. It's getting increasingly difficult to see, and I'm beginning to think if this is a lost cause, when suddenly, my foot hits something... soft. A body.

I bend down, and I see that it's Nicki. Thank God! I've found her. Seeing that she's unconcious, I pick her up, and start to carry her down the corridor. I hurry, and soon, the air is clearing, and I can hear voices, only faintly, but voices none the less. The babble of school kids, and the yells of guards. We're nearly there, nearly to safety.

**Nicki's Point Of View**

My eyes open slowly, and I realise that I'm in somebody's arms, being carried bridal-style... I turn my head slightly, and after a moment (my vision is still blurry), I realise that it's Tom Clarkson! Why am I being carried bridal-style by Tom? I then remember the fire, the way I collapsed in the corridor. Tom came to find me, Tom is saving me! And because there's nobody else around, I realise that Tom came and saved me of his own accord, when he probably wasn't meant to... my heart flutters, but it's just because of the excitement. Of course. Then the fogginess in my head takes over, and my eyes slip shut again.

**Tom's Point Of View**

I return to the foyer, trying to locate the Waterloo Road group. It shouldn't be difficult, because we're such a big group, but it seems that the kids have gone back to the coaches. Michael is the only one left, waiting for Nicki and I, and when he sees my head through the crowd, he looks furious. "Where the hell did you go, Tom?" He asks angrily, about to say something about it being a bad example, and then he sees Nicki, and his mouth gapes open. "Oh my God... what happened to her?"  
"I found her, unconcious, in the corridor by the toilets. She hasn't regained conciousness since."  
"She'll have to go to hospital, and you go with her, you probably should be checked over too. Go over there, to the ambulances, and tell them what happened."

I go in the direction that Michael pointed me in, and find paramedics. I tell them what happened, and they take Nicki from me, put her in one of the ambulances, and beckon me to come in too. Ah, the all-too-familiar inside of an ambulance. I sit on the chair at the edge of the bed, just like I did with Josh. I'm beginning to think that I should buy an ambulance, the number of times I've been in one recently. The ambulance starts moving, and there is a paramedic keeping an eye on us, ready to tell the driver to speed up if one of us takes a turn for the worse. I am told that Nicki's breathing and heart rate are steady, and she'll wake up soon. I can't wait for that to happen.

**Nicki's Point Of View**

Finally, after what seems like hours of weird dreams, my eyes open again, and I blink in the harsh light of what looks like an ambulance. This sparks memories- it's not the first time I've woken up in an ambulance. I shudder, not wanting to think about these memories, the bad ones. I only welcome the good memories, and I don't have very many of those.

I realise that somebody's sitting next to me, and I look up into Tom's blue eyes. We smile, simultaneously.  
"You're awake, 'bout time, too." He says.  
"Well, I'm sorry. I was kind of unconcious, you know? I'll try to have a better response next time." I say, sarcastically.  
"I'm glad you're awake and okay." Tom says, softly, and I get that fluttery feeling again- because of the excitement.  
"Thank you, for saving me."  
"My pleasure. I'd save you any time."  
The way that Tom put the emphasis on the 'you' almost makes my heart melt. This time, I can't blame it on the excitement.  
Do I really want to go through all of that again; the confusion, the hurt, the heartbreak?  
There's no point denying it. I think I'm falling for Tom Clarkson.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Yay, two uploads in two days! Woo! I've been in the mood to write this all of a sudden! Hope you enjoy! Not long until we get some action! :)**_

**(A few months later...)** **  
Tom's Point Of View**

"Josh?" I walk into his dark room, stumbing on suitcases and stuff that's on the floor.  
"What?" He mumbles sleepily. "Some people are trying to get some shut-eye before having to get up at the crack of dawn."  
"Sorry. Where's the other tube of toothpaste?"  
"It got used up." Josh says, and I can almost see him smirking, despite the fact that it's pitch black.  
"What? Oh great, now I'll have to buy some in the service station or something."  
"Well, you should have packed earlier. Now, goodbye, I have to wake up early enough as it is."

I walk out of Josh's room and back into my own. Okay, maybe I should have packed earlier... even Josh had packed a few days ago, when I was too busy watching TV. I can't believe my son is more organised than me! I yawn, cursing myself for having to be up at 1am, and continue with my packing...

* * *

We are, of course, late, when we finally arrive at school. It took me longer than expected to get ready and to add to that, there was really bad traffic. Why are people driving around at half past four in the morning?! Anyway, we arrive to see that almost all of the pupils, and of course the other three teachers, are there already. Josh gets out of the car with his luggage to go and stand with his mates, and I join Nicki, Michael and Ben...

"Morning, Tom!" Nicki says, with irritating energy and enthusiasm. She is, of course, completely ready and has had a full nights sleep, rather than having to wake up at stupid o'clock to pack.  
"Hi, everyone." I mumble, I am really still half-asleep. A man cannot work on two hours of sleep alone. Thank goodness we have a five-hour coach journey before us, so I can catch up.

There is a cheer as the coach pulls in through the gates, illuminating the group of students, huddling there in the cold, morning, mid-October air. They all crowd to put their luggage under the coach and to get into the warm. We get on last, and take our seats at the front- Michael and Ben behind the driver, Nicki and I by the door. I gladly note that I have the window seat, easier for sleeping on.

A register is done, and then we are off. The kids, thankfully, are all dozing and listening to music, so the bus is relatively quiet. The other three are discussing itineries and the best way to count the students at each place- they are saying that a 'gate' system to count the kids through is best- but I'm not really paying attention, I am falling asleep...

* * *

I can hear the noise of around 50 kids talking at quite loud volume, but I tune this out. I have no idea what the time is, but judging by the light, it's still quite early, and we're nowhere near the Eurotunnel yet- it's a pretty safe bet that I can go back to sleep...

"Morning, sleeping beauty!" My thoughts are disturbed by a cheery voice quite close to my right ear, and I jump, whacking my head on the window in the process. I look up at Nicki, who is having a laughing fit.  
"Thanks," I say, grumpily.  
"No problem!" She squeals. "You... you look... like... Grantly!" I catch sight of myself in the reflection of the bus window, and I smile- I do indeed have a grumpy 'Grantly' face on.  
"No wonder, that bloody hurt!" I complain.

"Sorry to disturb your sleep, but we are just about to stop at a service station, and it would be useful if you could at least attempt to make sure that the kids don't burn the place down."  
"Fine. What's the time?"  
"It's... um..." Nicki looks upwards to see the clock at the front of the bus. "Seven o'clock."  
"And why can't you look at your watch like a normal person?"  
"Batteries have run out." She explains. "I need to get some more at the service station. Rubbish timing, if you ask me."  
"That reminds me, I need to get something too..." I say, trying to remember what it was. "Aha, toothpaste!"  
Nicki laughs. "Of course, you must have packed in the early hours of this morning?"  
"Yep, how did you guess?"  
"Your face is practically screaming 'I've-had-a-fraction-of-the-sleep-I-need', and you've slept all this time with the rabble going on in the background... it's easy to guess, I can read you like a book." I sigh, wishing the feeling was mutual.

We get off the bus and the kids rush away immediately, they are using their half-hour of freedom here wisely (or unwisely, as the case may be). We follow at a more sensible pace. Nicki and I go off to get what we need, and we join Michael and Ben for coffee and breakfast in Starbucks. A much-needed coffee- we won't be getting much sleep until gone eleven tonight...

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Someone calls, and all four of us teachers groan. How many times do the kids need to ask that? We told them barely five minutes ago that we were only a few miles from the Eurotunnel. Obviously, this information went in one ear, and out the other.

"This'll answer your question!" Michael says, as we pass a sign saying 'Welcome to the Eurostar'. There is another cheer, The kids seem to be in very high spirits about the trip. Some of them haven't even been to Scotland or Wales, yet alone Europe, so this is a slightly cheaper (and more educational) alternative to a family holiday.

Soon we have driven onto the train thing, and we are in motion. Some of the kids stay on the coach with us, the others head into the compartment, with strict instructions to stay here and not wander off. It is quite peaceful- without Kyle, Finn and Tariq can almost get along.

Finally, at eleven o'clock, we arrive in Calais. We've traveled for over seven hours, and we've still got a long coach journey to go before we get to our first destination. We've been doing alright so far- let's hope that this is the case for the rest of the weekend...


	11. Chapter 11

_**Yay, two uploads in two days! Woo! I've been in the mood to write this all of a sudden! Hope you enjoy! Not long until we get some action! :)**_

**(A few months later...)** **  
Tom's Point Of View**

"Josh?" I walk into his dark room, stumbing on suitcases and stuff that's on the floor.  
"What?" He mumbles sleepily. "Some people are trying to get some shut-eye before having to get up at the crack of dawn."  
"Sorry. Where's the other tube of toothpaste?"  
"It got used up." Josh says, and I can almost see him smirking, despite the fact that it's pitch black.  
"What? Oh great, now I'll have to buy some in the service station or something."  
"Well, you should have packed earlier. Now, goodbye, I have to wake up early enough as it is."

I walk out of Josh's room and back into my own. Okay, maybe I should have packed earlier... even Josh had packed a few days ago, when I was too busy watching TV. I can't believe my son is more organised than me! I yawn, cursing myself for having to be up at 1am, and continue with my packing...

* * *

We are, of course, late, when we finally arrive at school. It took me longer than expected to get ready and to add to that, there was really bad traffic. Why are people driving around at half past four in the morning?! Anyway, we arrive to see that almost all of the pupils, and of course the other three teachers, are there already. Josh gets out of the car with his luggage to go and stand with his mates, and I join Nicki, Michael and Ben...

"Morning, Tom!" Nicki says, with irritating energy and enthusiasm. She is, of course, completely ready and has had a full nights sleep, rather than having to wake up at stupid o'clock to pack.  
"Hi, everyone." I mumble, I am really still half-asleep. A man cannot work on two hours of sleep alone. Thank goodness we have a five-hour coach journey before us, so I can catch up.

There is a cheer as the coach pulls in through the gates, illuminating the group of students, huddling there in the cold, morning, mid-October air. They all crowd to put their luggage under the coach and to get into the warm. We get on last, and take our seats at the front- Michael and Ben behind the driver, Nicki and I by the door. I gladly note that I have the window seat, easier for sleeping on.

A register is done, and then we are off. The kids, thankfully, are all dozing and listening to music, so the bus is relatively quiet. The other three are discussing itineries and the best way to count the students at each place- they are saying that a 'gate' system to count the kids through is best- but I'm not really paying attention, I am falling asleep...

* * *

I can hear the noise of around 50 kids talking at quite loud volume, but I tune this out. I have no idea what the time is, but judging by the light, it's still quite early, and we're nowhere near the Eurotunnel yet- it's a pretty safe bet that I can go back to sleep...

"Morning, sleeping beauty!" My thoughts are disturbed by a cheery voice quite close to my right ear, and I jump, whacking my head on the window in the process. I look up at Nicki, who is having a laughing fit.  
"Thanks," I say, grumpily.  
"No problem!" She squeals. "You... you look... like... Grantly!" I catch sight of myself in the reflection of the bus window, and I smile- I do indeed have a grumpy 'Grantly' face on.  
"No wonder, that bloody hurt!" I complain.

"Sorry to disturb your sleep, but we are just about to stop at a service station, and it would be useful if you could at least attempt to make sure that the kids don't burn the place down."  
"Fine. What's the time?"  
"It's... um..." Nicki looks upwards to see the clock at the front of the bus. "Seven o'clock."  
"And why can't you look at your watch like a normal person?"  
"Batteries have run out." She explains. "I need to get some more at the service station. Rubbish timing, if you ask me."  
"That reminds me, I need to get something too..." I say, trying to remember what it was. "Aha, toothpaste!"  
Nicki laughs. "Of course, you must have packed in the early hours of this morning?"  
"Yep, how did you guess?"  
"Your face is practically screaming 'I've-had-a-fraction-of-the-sleep-I-need', and you've slept all this time with the rabble going on in the background... it's easy to guess, I can read you like a book." I sigh, wishing the feeling was mutual.

We get off the bus and the kids rush away immediately, they are using their half-hour of freedom here wisely (or unwisely, as the case may be). We follow at a more sensible pace. Nicki and I go off to get what we need, and we join Michael and Ben for coffee and breakfast in Starbucks. A much-needed coffee- we won't be getting much sleep until gone eleven tonight...

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Someone calls, and all four of us teachers groan. How many times do the kids need to ask that? We told them barely five minutes ago that we were only a few miles from the Eurotunnel. Obviously, this information went in one ear, and out the other.

"This'll answer your question!" Michael says, as we pass a sign saying 'Welcome to the Eurostar'. There is another cheer, The kids seem to be in very high spirits about the trip. Some of them haven't even been to Scotland or Wales, yet alone Europe, so this is a slightly cheaper (and more educational) alternative to a family holiday.

Soon we have driven onto the train thing, and we are in motion. Some of the kids stay on the coach with us, the others head into the compartment, with strict instructions to stay here and not wander off. It is quite peaceful- without Kyle, Finn and Tariq can almost get along.

Finally, at eleven o'clock, we arrive in Calais. We've traveled for over seven hours, and we've still got a long coach journey to go before we get to our first destination. We've been doing alright so far- let's hope that this is the case for the rest of the weekend...


	12. Chapter 12

_**I am so sorry that I haven't uploaded for ages! I knew where I wanted to get to in the chapter but I couldn't get there! Thank you all for reading, favouriting, following and reviewing... hope you enjoy the chapter :)**_

**Tom's Point Of View**

"Man, what a day. What a day." Nicki says, as we flop into the bus seats. |  
"Tell me about it." I sigh. We've been walking around quite a lot today, seeing various sights, and we've also spent hours on the coach. Now, we've just finished watching the Menin Gate Last Post ceremony- thankfully, the kids managed to stay quiet. They were pretty good all day- obeying the rules, especially the ones about respectful silence and not standing on the grass (the attendants at some places were really strict about the grass). Nobody's gotten lost or run over, although Scout did come close to being hit by a bus when we had free time in Ypres. The other places we had been to were Notre Dame De Lorette and the trenches behind it; Vimy Ridge and Sanctuary Wood trenches (which were very muddy and made me glad that I had remembered my wellies). That took us to about 5.30pm, when we then let the kids loose in Ypres and met up again at half six for dinner.

Around us, there were kids with armfuls of sweets, and they were munching contentedly. They had got a special schools deal from the chocolate shop Leonidas, but they then found another chocolate shop just down the street where they bought another load of sweets, and quite a lot of them had gone to the ice cream shop as well. It looked like we were in for a load of hyper kids later... and everybody knows that sweets and buses do not mix.

"So, what was your favourite part of today?" Michael asks us.  
"Hmm..." Nicki thinks about it, but she is interrupted by Kirsten, a Year Eight student, stumbling down the bus.  
"Miss! Laura feels sick!" Kirsten says.  
"Okay, I'll come and see her in a second. Go back up the bus, I'll follow." Kirsten darts back up the bus, and Nicki raises her eyebrows at me.  
"Knew this was going to happen." She sighs.  
"Well, go and sort it out before it gets messy!" I say, and she pulls a face before grabbing the 'sick' stuff from the overhead compartment and walking up the bus.

"Why did I have to deal with that?!" Nicki huffs, coming back 15 minutes later and sitting down.  
"Because, Kirsten said 'Miss', which meant she wanted you to do it."  
"Yes, but there are three male teachers! Why do I have to do it?! Why couldn't one of you lazy buggers have done it?!"  
"It's the fact that you're a woman and more sympathetic."  
She pokes me. "That is very stereotypical! Oh well, it's probably going to happen again and one of you guys is dealing with it..."

* * *

Later on, at 10pm, we have finally managed to get all of the kids from the random places they scattered to in the hotel (Rhona and Shona even managed to get into the dark basement by mistake, using the lift that was supposedly forbidden) and into their rooms. Will they be sleeping? Probably not. But at least they're now in their rooms and they may be tempted to sleep sometime before 6am when they have to wake up (5am English time, they are going to love us for that!). Now, without the interruptions from the students, Nicki and I are sitting in my room, chatting. We're quite pleased with how the day has gone... this has to be a record for a Waterloo Road school trip.

Nicki stifles a yawn. "Euh, I'm tired now. I think I'm going to go to bed."  
"Okay, sleep well."  
"You too." She grins, walking towards the door, while I follow, to let her out. She turns around. "Goodnight."

Then it all happens at once. We're standing just centimetres away from each other, and our eyes are locked. Without even thinking about it, I lean forward and plant a kiss on Nicki's cheek. Then, just as quickly, I move away, heart racing, expecting to be slapped or something.

But the slap doesn't come. Instead, Nicki stands there, looking slightly confused but quite happy. Neither of us speak, and the atmosphere is about as awkward as it gets.  
"Call that a kiss?" Nicki says, breaking the silence. I laugh- the sentance is so very Nicki.  
"Well, if you're going to say that..." I smile, and our lips meet. I've been wishing for this moment for so long, and when it comes, it's not a dissappointment. In fact, it's amazing. It's like traveling to the stars and back. It's incredible, it's magical, it's perfect... there are just not enough words to describe how good it really is.

Finally, it has to end, as all good things do. We smile at each other like fools. Then Nicki laughs and says "I'm actually going to bed now."  
"Alright, see you in the morning."  
"Yep, see you tomorrow." She walks slowly out of the door, then pauses. "Love you." She says softly.  
"Love you too." I whisper, and I know she heard me. The door shuts with a soft click, and I fall back onto the bed.

If I was quite pleased with how the day went before... I'm extremely pleased with how it went now.


	13. Chapter 13

**_I'm sorry that I'm really bad at uploading, I thought I'd upload way more often over the summer but evidently not, it's been busier than I thought! Anyway, here's the new chapter! ;)_**

**Nicki's Point Of View**

"Come on, girls, you have to be downstairs... now, actually!" I say, knocking on door after door. It seems that the kids are finding it hard to wake up early, especially after they no doubt stayed up way after lights out. Plus the girls all take ages to get ready, they have make-up, hair and clothes to worry about... whereas the boys can just chuck on some random outfit, brush their teeth and put some gel or whatever in their hair and be done in five minutes. Lucky them...

"Looks like you'd better go down to the boys' floor on your own, we'll come down as soon as this lot are ready." I say to the group of girls who are waiting in our small recreation room (the boys got the bigger one with the pool table). They file downstairs obediently. I sit on the red sofa, sighing, as I wait for the rest of the group to be ready...

Quarter of an hour later, after I've checked that everyone is out of the rooms, I am rushing down the stairs and into the boy's recreation room. Surprisingly, it's empty, apart from Tom.  
"Michael decided to take them downstairs five minutes ago, but I thought I'd wait for you." He smiles, and I smile back.  
"Thanks, I wouldn't want to go downstairs on my own."

We walk down the stairs together. They are so narrow that our arms brush against each other, and I feel the rush of energy that is familiar whenever Tom and I make physical contact (which, when we are sitting next to each other on a coach for a long period of time, happens quite frequently). Our hands are touching and suddenly, our fingers are intertwined. It's weird that such a small action can feel so amazing. I glance at Tom. "Are you sure you want the kids to find out like this? So soon? Isn't it better to tell Josh first?"  
"We haven't really had the chance to tell Josh, and I think he expected it to happen anyway. Anyway, there's no time like the present."

We arrive at the doors of the dining room. Michael and Ben are talking with the bus driver, and the kids are stuffing food into their mouths. Only one person sees us- and that is Lauren Andrews. Her mouth falls open in shock as we walk through the door, and after she's gotten over it, she turns straight to the girl next to her and starts gabbling madly. In a few seconds time, all four girls on her table are staring at us, food forgotten, but we have dropped our hands by our sides and we are acting normally, chatting to each other, choosing breakfast and also getting food for lunch. Then we join Michael and Ben at the staff table, trying to ignore the stares that are boring into our backs...

**Josh's Point Of View**

"Right guys, go and get what you need for today. We'll be out until the evening, remember? Bring your camera, phones, money, food, drink..." Mr Byrne's voice trails off as we all start chattering and surging out of the dining room.  
"Hey, Josh, guess what?!" Lauren says, almost jumping up and down with excitement.  
"What?" I ask curiously.  
"Your dad, and Miss Boston..." She pauses for effect. "Were holding hands!"  
"Oh please, give it a rest, Lauren." I sigh. "They were not."  
"But they were, I swear!" She insists. "I would have taken a photo if I could have got my phone out quick enough!"  
"Hmm." I say. "Did anyone else see?"  
"Not that I know of, they were all too busy eating." She says. "But Josh, please believe me, they were holding hands! I promise you!"  
"Alright, fine, I believe you." I say. There is a pause.

"Maybe it didn't mean anything." Trudi says, reasonably.  
"Come on, Trudi! Why would they hold hands if they weren't going out?!"  
"I don't know, I just thought I'd ask... I mean, how did they get together between yesterday evening and this morning?"  
"Maybe they... oh, God!" Lauren dissolves into giggles. I feel my face flush.  
"Stop it, Lauren!" Trudi says.  
"Why, it's just a bit of fun! Ewww, imagine them getting it on!"  
"Lauren, just shut up, alright?! It's not even your business whether they're together or not! It's not anybody's business but theirs, and mine! I don't even see you keeping your voice down, anybody could hear!" I snap, Lauren looks a little worried.  
"Well, about that... I might have, um, told the girls, and they might possibly have told... everyone else who's here?"  
"Oh, thanks, Lauren! Why don't you just announce it on the local radio?" I sigh, stalking off ahead. I would have liked some time to process and get used to that fact that Dad was with Miss Boston (even though I suspected that it would happen), and now, thanks to Lauren, it's over practically the whole school?! Great.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Hello everyone! I am VERY sorry that I haven't uploaded for ages! I've been quite busy with coursework and stuff, then I was in China at half term (WOOO!) so I didn't have time to write even then. And when I have tried to upload, I've written half of the chapter then deleted it all in exhasperation! So here is a chapter (finally), I hope you enjoy it!**_

**Nicki's Point Of View**

Life had changed considerably in the last few months. The gossip about the relationship between Tom and I had THANKFULLY died down, after weeks of sniggering students and 'clever' comments. I no longer had to spend large amount of time along in my flat: instead, I spent that time with Tom (and Josh, of course). Our evenings usually consisted of staying in school until 5 or 6pm, marking and stuff, then heading to Tom's house, having dinner, and me leaving late evening. Christmas was no longer an event that I dreaded, due to not having anybody to spend it with- in fact, it was very fun, with the Waterloo Road staff party, and Christmas day itself spent at the Clarkson house, watching overly cheesy films, opening presents and cooking a Christmas dinner (pre-prepared turkey isn't cheating at all...)

Now, it was nearing the end of January, and soon it would be spring- roll on warm(er) weather and a chance to leave work in the evenings while it's still light! Life was better than it had been in ages, hopefully it would stay that way...

* * *

*Beep beep*

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, not really paying attention to it and instead continuing to watch the TV programme that we were currently watching- it was surprisingly interesting for a Wednesday evening. Knowing me and the amount of people I have texting me (not many), it was likely to be from the network.

Suddenly, one of the words on the text caught my attention, and my eyes snapped towards the screen of my phone. I gaped slightly when I read what was on it:  
'You thought you could escape from me, silly little girl'  
I looked at who the text was from, an unknown number. Weird... I dismissed the text as a wrong number, and continued watching TV.

However, a few minutes later, I got another text, this time reading 'I will find you'. Short but not really sweet. The text was odd but strangely familiar, and it sent shivers down my spine.  
"Are you okay?" Tom asked, sounding concerned, and I mustered up the largest smile I could managed.  
"Yeah. Fine. Why wouldn't I be?" I replied, pressing the 'off' button on the phone. I didn't want to recieve any more weird texts.

_**Okay, just read through this and realised how rubbish it is :| And it's short too. This was quite hard to write. Don't worry, I'm uploading the next chapter soon- I might be evil and make you guys wait until tomorrow 3:) but the chapter has been pre-written so tomorrow is the latest that it'll be updated :)**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Here is the promised chapter! I've got another chapter pre-written, so you might be super lucky and get three chapters within a week of each other! :) Hope you like it! Sorry it's a bit short!**_

**Nicki's Point Of View**

"Nicki?"  
I jumped, dropping my pen onto my desk with a clatter, to see Tom smiling at the door. I felt foolish, and a blush spread over my cheeks. "Yeah?"  
"I'm going to that meeting with Sian and Michael now, okay? I'll be finished at, I don't know, half five?" He pulled a face. "Meetings are soooo boring!"  
"Alright. See you later." I smiled, and Tom backed out of the door, heading along the corridor towards Michael's office. I turned back to my work: film reviews from Year Nine. I managed to mark one, before my eyes drifted towards the pale yellow, chipped paint and the peeling posters on the classroom wall. I didn't take in what I saw, instead, I was thinking about those texts. Even though I hadn't checked my phone since and I had shoved it right to the bottom of my bag, I was unable to forget the messages (and therefore my concentration levels had been low all day). It was silly to worry about them, but somehow I felt that the texts WERE for me, even though I had no proof. I was slightly scared, and more jumpy than usual, expecting danger to be around every corner.

After I'd finally managed to finish the Year Nine marking, I decided to make a start on the GCSE controlled assessment essays. With annoyance, I realised that I had left them in the car, and I grabbed the keys, walking down the semi-dark corridors. Only a few lights were on, to save money on the energy bill (lighting up a large size school for seven hours during the day is expensive enough, according to Michael, and we were all advised to only turn lights on when necessary during the school day). I walked briskly towards the stairs, and I couldn't help but peer into every dark classroom along the way.

At the bottom of the stairs, I heard a noise, almost like somebody coughing, and I stopped, wondering where it came from. I wasn't within hearing distance of any classrooms, and I would be able to see if somebody was in the corridor. However, I couldn't contemplate this for long, as I heard footsteps, and a second later, I was being shoved backwards, head slamming into the lockers, a padlock pressing into my back. Taken by shock, and outweighed by my attacker, I couldn't fight back, and my heart started racing as my mind flooded with memories that I'd tried so hard to banish. So I did the only thing I could in the situation... I screamed.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Wooh, another update! This was actually quite hard to write, to make it realistic :) Hope you like it!  
Thanks to LucyMaxine for her reviews :)  
PS I know the police procedures at the end might not be exactly accurate, but hey! I'm not in the police force ;)**_

**Tom's Point Of View**

"So, I've got the departmental reports here..." Michael droned on, and I tried to zone out his voice. These monthly meetings were necessary, but they were also boring. We always discussed the same things (grades, attendences, behaviour, etc) and it sure got repetetive quickly. This deputy head role was good for the extra pay, but this was the massive down side. I spent most of my time in this meeting longing for it to end, so I could go back home with Nicki. We were planning to try and cook an Oriental chicken dish, which was going to be interesting, since neither of us were particularly amazing at cooking.

"... Tom?" Michael saying my name brought me back to reality, and I looked rather sheepishly at him.  
"I'm sorry, what?" I said, and Michael sighed, sounding irritated. Sian smiled sympathetically at me- Michael got very cross if we didn't pay attention to the meeting.  
"As I was just saying..." Michael began, but we never got to hear the end of his sentence, as he was interrupted by a scream, quiet due to it being quite far away, but still loud enough to make us all freeze to our seats.  
"That sounds like... Nicki?!" I say, and then the three of us leap up, hurrying out of the office. I run towards where I hoped the scream had come from, Michael and Sian hot at my heels.

"Nicki?" I call, coming to the bottom of the stairs and stopping, Sian snapping the light on behind me. There is nobody there, and I panic, wondering what has happened, but then I notice the door swinging shut, and we race outside. The cold hits me- I've left my jacket in Michael's office, and it's freezing out here. I scan the courtyard, and spot a dim figure dragging someone- Nicki- towards the direction of the car park. We all run in that direction, and the attacker tries to speed up, but Nicki is obviously putting up some resistance, as the figure seems unable to go much faster. However, they had such a head start that we seem close to losing them, they are already in the car park and entering a car (obviously, in Nicki's case, not by choice). Not used to running fast, and all being in somewhat innappropriate clothing for running, we are all slowing down, and I am in despair.

The car moves, skidding around the corners of the car park towards the exit, and suddenly I find some extra strength that I didn't know I had, running towards the exit faster than I thought possible. I reach the exit before the car does, and stand in the middle, hoping to stop the car. For one terrible moment I think that it is going to slam into me, and I brace myself, but it swerves suddenly, coming to an abrupt stop. The man (for we can see he is male now) stumbles out of the driver's door, but both Michael and I rush towards him. We chase him for a bit, but he doesn't seem to be in good physical condition, as he soon slows down and we push him against the wall of the school, restraining him. He seems to have given up, as we are able to do this quite easily. I look back towards the car, and I see Sian, dimly light, phone pressed to her ear as she calls 999, helping Nicki out of the car at the same time. I want to go over to her and console her, but the man might take advantage of only one person's strength and try to run away again, so I stay with Michael.

* * *

The police arrive quickly, and we hand the man over to them. They handcuff him and take him away to the station, and we stay at the school with some more police officers to be questioned, going back into Michael's office.

"So, Miss Boston, do you know this man?" One of the police officers asks, getting out a notebook and a pencil. Nicki frowns, pausing, before speaking.  
"Yes, I do." She says slowly. "He's... he's my stepfather."


	17. Chapter 17

_**Thank you, everyone, for the reviews! :D  
I vowed to myself that I WOULD update at least once during the holidays, so here it is! I found this really hard to write, I had written another version but it was far too angsty so I had to re-write it. This does contain some kind-of sensitive topics (like abuse and death)... just thought I should say! Hope you like it!  
By the way, sorry for the massive lump of text in the middle, I couldn't separate it out :/**_

**Tom's Point Of View**

I gasp in shock. Stepfather? I didn't even know that she had a stepfather! From what I had gathered, Nicki had lost all contact with her family. But apparantly not...

"Okay, thank you..." The police officer writes this information down, and then realises that we're all listening, and that Nicki is reluctant to give information. He turns to us. "Would you mind waiting outside, please?"  
"Of course." Michael says, and we follow him into Janeece's office. Sian and Michael sit down, and I lean against a filing cabinet, thinking things over. It happened so quickly and surprisingly, and I have no idea what the back story is... it's quite confusing, but hopefully Nicki will be able to talk to me about it later...

* * *

When the police are finally done questioning Nicki, and us as well, we are all allowed to go home. We walk quietly across the dark car park, muttering brief goodbyes to the others before getting into my car- I gave her a lift into school that morning, as usual.  
"Do you want to go to my house, or yours?" I ask, looking across at Nicki. She's pale and withdrawn, obviously shocked by today's events, but she looks up briefly, barely making eye contact with me before letting her gaze shift away again.  
"Your house." She mutters, looking down at her hands, which are clasped in her lap. She remains perfectly still for the whole journey, keeping a blank face, obviously trying to hide her feelings. It hurts me to see her so unhappy, and I would do anything to have a smile grace her beautiful features again, but there is nothing I can say to break the silence, everything I think of sounds wrong.

After what seems like hours but must have only been twenty minutes, we are stepping out of the car and into my quiet, empty house. It's Friday, and Josh is staying over at Finn's house, meaning that we have the house to ourselves, which is probably a good thing considering the circumstances. We both walk into the living room, maintaining the silence as we sink onto the sofa.  
"Well, that was a surprise, I never thought I would see him again." Nicki manages to say at last, resting her head on her hands. I look at her questioningly, and she sees my look, sighing.  
"I guess I should explain..." She says, sounding quite nervous. "I haven't really told this to anyone before, and... it's a story that I wish I haven't been reminded about, but I think you need to know. And now seems like a good time to tell you."  
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."  
"No, I will..." She pauses, gathering her thoughts, before beginning.

"I lived in London with my parents, and my sister Imogen. She was three years younger than me, as sweet as pie and a complete girly girl. I was also relatively girly at the time, but not as much as her. She was the spitting image of Mum, with dark, wavy brown hair and hazel eyes; while I inherited Dad's looks. We were like a family out of a fairytale- we never argued with each other, everything went well. We always had nice things, we lived in a nice house... it was all perfect. Too perfect. Because then, it had to go wrong," Nicki pauses. "Very wrong. I was only eight years old but I remember it as clear as if it had been yesterday. I had noticed that there was something... different... about Dad, but I just thought he was ill. Then, I came home from school one day, and he and Mum were sitting on the sofa together. She didn't want him to tell us, but he said we had to know. He said... he said that he had cancer. He got treatment, and it worked for a while, but... one night, he collapsed, and the doctors told us it was terminal. A few months later, he died."

"Of course, that wasn't the end. We grieved, we mourned, but then we came to accept the fact that he wasn't coming back. We knew that he would want us to be happy and continue living our lives, so we did. Things went as close to normal as they would ever be. Mum even started dating, and then one day, she came home and said that she had met someone special. She soon introduced him to us. He was kind, funny, generous- or, at least, he pretended to be. Within a year, they had married. For a few months afterwards, he was nice, but then his bad side was revealed. Mum worked long hours in an office, and he would often look after Immy and I, as he was self-employed. One day, I came home from school alone, Immy was at a friend's house. He came up to me, and I could smell the beer on his breath. He said that he just wanted to 'play a game', and I was only ten and a half, I didn't know any better. He took off my jumper and he started lifting up my dress, his hands going everywhere. I realised that this wasn't a game, and I tried to get away, but he was much stronger than me. He pushed me up against a wall, he... did things to me, and then he left me in a quivering wreck on the floor. When Mum came home, he said that I was ill, and I didn't dare tell her what really happened. That was the first time of many. He would do it at least twice a week, and when I went to secondary school, he started picking me up in the car in order to do it more often. He also started hitting me if I was 'bad', and I was in constant fear of him hurting me. He was almost always drunk, but yet he kept up the nice-guy front the rest of the time. Soon, I wasn't enough for him, and he started on Immy." Nicki's eyes blazed with anger. "My poor little sister, she was only nine, and even more clueless than I had been! It hurt her so much that some days she could barely walk, but he still managed to keep the cotton wool over Mum's eyes. Until she came home from work early, and she walked in on them, it was obvious what he was doing. She was gobsmacked, that for almost two years, she hadn't seen what was happening to her daughters, right under her nose. She went so mad with guilt that she killed herself. And with her out of the picture, it was even easier for him to abuse us. I would anger him to try and protect Immy, but he would still do it to her. He was worse with me, because I was older. Once, he even brought some of his scummy friends around to join in- the height of fun for him. We were in hospital a few times, but he usually managed to think of an excuse. But there was one time when he couldn't think of an excuse. He had hurt me so badly that I was a bloody heap on the bathroom floor. He refused to call an ambulance, fearing that he'd get in trouble. He didn't care about me, and as far as he was concerned, I could die before he would tell anyone. Fortunately for me, Immy managed to call the ambulance. I was kept in hospital for a few weeks, and when I came out, he was in prison- he must have only been released in the past few years- and Immy had been taken to a foster home, in Wales, I think. Anyway, I haven't spoken to her since. I was given temporary accomodation with a family for the three years while I finished school, and then I decided to join the army, thinking that I may as well do something worthwhile in my life. Of course, I left the army at twenty-eight, after I had completed my service, and I trained to become a teacher. And now here I am."

She looks away from me, suddenly seeming very small and vulnerable. I had been rapt by her story, but now I come to the realisation that it wasn't just a tale. It was her life. I tentatively reach out to put my arm around her shaking shoulders, and she cuddles into my chest, tears soaking my shirt. I rock her gently, stroking her hair, and wiping a few tears of my own from my eyes. It's nice to have her so close to me, in my arms, and her sobs soon lessen and settle into a steady breathing pattern. My breathing slows too, and eventually, I fall asleep...

**_It's like, one in the morning, all I wanted to do was to finish this chapter and post it! Therefore, the end is a bit rubbish, but I couldn't think of a better way to end it even when I was well-rested and concentrating fully, so I had to leave it like that. Hope you enjoyed! It gets fluffier soon, don't worry :) And Waterloo Road is back in less than a week, wooh! :D_**


	18. Chapter 18

_**Hi everyone! Sorry for not uploading, I've been busy (I'm always busy, sorry about that :S). However, I have just decided what I want to happen next (ooh, I'm so excited about finally having a plan!) so this is a little bit of a filler chapter before that. It's really short- sorry!  
As always, I hope you enjoy, and thank you for the reviews, follows and favourites :D**_

**Nicki's Point Of View**

I stretched out my arms, yawning as I woke up, then I felt confused as I hit something solid. I opened my eyes and sat up, before realising that I was on a sofa, with Tom. My first thought was- how did we manage to sleep on a small sofa without one of us falling off?! I then remembered why we had been on the sofa in the first place, and I blushed as I realised that I had told Tom my life story, cried, and then fallen asleep in his arms.

Right on cue, Tom stirred and opened his eyes, also looking briefly confused as to why I was basically sat on top of him.  
"Morning," He muttered sleepily, sitting up. He then looks at my face properly. "What's up?"  
"Why... why weren't you disgusted?" I blurted out, before mentally cursing myself. Nice one, Nicki!  
"What do you mean?"  
"I mean... when I told you what happened. Most people would pretend to be concerned but they'd back away. That's why I don't exactly make a habit of telling people. Names like 'used goods' spring to mind." I look down at my hands, suddenly very interested in the chipping polish on my nails.

Tom's face softens. "Oh, Nicki, you should know that I would never say anything like that to you."  
My blush intensifies as I look at him from the corner of my eyes, not sure how to respond. However, I am saved from having to find a suitable reply by the noise of the front door opening and Josh calling "Dad, I'm home!"

A few seconds later, he walked into the living room, and stopped, looking a little surprised to see us on the sofa. "Hi, Dad... hi, Nicki. I guess I'll, er, leave you to it..."  
"No, don't worry, I was just-" I started.  
"- going to have breakfast." Tom cut in, and we exchanged a smile. "Does toast sound okay to you both?"  
"Yeah, sure." Josh says, walking out of the room.  
"Yes, that sounds fine." I smile. "And, Tom- thanks. For everything."


	19. Chapter 19

_**As per usual, thanks for the reviews! You honestly don't know how much I grin when I realise I've got another one! I'm having inspiration for this at the minute, so hopefully we'll have some chapters uploaded quickly! Enjoy :) **_

**Nicki's Point Of View**

A few weeks later, and I was walking home from the shops, taking a shortcut through a car park. There were no streetlights, but as I used this shortcut regularly, I didn't really need them. My mind wandered as I walked along, thinking about the huge pile of Year Nine marking I had to do when I got home. I wasn't paying much attention to my surroundings, so when there was a movement beside me, it startled me a little. I realised that there was someone there, but before I could look closely, the person grabbed me, making me squeak in surprise. Before I knew what was happening, I had been bundled into the back of a van. I felt deja-vu- this had not only happened the other night, but it happened a lot when I was young. Of course I knew who it was. My own _dear_ stepfather.

"I must say, darling, I'm disappointed. I thought you'd put up more of a fight, you were always the fiesty one." I heard a familiar leering voice come through from the front of the van.  
"Yeah, well you seem to have caught me by surprise." I said, trying to keep my tones as pleasant as his. I could almost see him smiling with satisfation, even in the dark car.  
"Second time lucky. I knew I would get you. I had long enough in prison to plan this- and that was all your fault, you stupid little cow."  
"Oh well, next time you've horrifically injured me, I'll just stay there and die quietly, shall I?" I said sarcastically.  
"You won't have a choice." He said darkly.

"You gave up very easily at the school." I stated, breaking the silence.  
"I wasn't expecting your little pals to arrive, they had seemed to be very busy in that meeting of theirs. It's nice to know that some people will miss you when you're gone. Although I didn't notice a wedding ring, haven't you found Mr Right yet? Can't say that I'm surprised, nobody would want to marry you- you're not the brightest diamond on the crown, nothing special to look at, and even if they can get past that, they won't want to even know you when they see what a dirty whore you are."  
"As a matter of fact, I have found a guy." I said stiffly, his insults sailing right over my head. I had learnt to ignore them when I was younger.  
"Ah, the one who stood in front of the car? Stupid fool, why would he risk his life for you?"  
I gritted my teeth, but remained silent. Arguing would only humour him.

The time spent in that van seemed like eternity. My head was rattled around so much that it began to ache. I distracted myself by thinking of other things, and eventually the van stopped lurching around. He slammed out of the drivers seat, and then he came and yanked open the back door. I could see, faintly light by moonlight, what looked like a deserted air field, before I was pulled up as if I was a sack of potatoes and dragged across the tarmac. I tried to struggle against the arms that kept me from escaping, intending to aim a kick where it would really hurt, but he only laughed at my failed attempts. I then tried to move my arms around, and I caught him in the side of the head, causing him to growl angrily and reach a hand into his pocket. I felt the cold metal of what could only be a knife against my throat.  
"Try that again and I will cut you, with no hesitation." He growled, and I breathed shallowly, making no more attempts to throw him off.

A few moments later, he kicked open a door, and we were inside what looked like a derelict warehouse. He dragged me across to another door, halfway down a flight of steps, and then he set me on my feet, pushing me roughly so I fell down the remaining steps, crashing into the hard, concrete floor. Pain immediately sprung up in various places on my body, especially my head, which had knocked against something as I fell.  
"There's water over there-" He pointed towards a small bucket of water that was probably a hive of disease "- and here's something to eat." He threw a few pieces of bread at me, so stale that it hurt as it hit me. "I will be back later." And with that, he slammed the door, leaving me along in the dark, cold basement. I knew- and dreaded- what would happen when he came back. For now, I lay still on the dirty floor, my thoughts growing steadily fuzzier as the throbbing in my head grew worse...


	20. Chapter 20

**_Wow, thank you all for the reviews! It means a lot :)_**

**Tom's Point Of View**

The breaktime bell rang, making the students jump up and start chattering as they packed away.  
"Off you go, see you next lesson." I said, but the students were already leaving- and I doubted that I could be heard over the loud class. I didn't have the heart to raise my voice any more, but I waited until the students had left before putting my head in my hands. The morning wasn't even over yet, and yet what a morning it had been.

Nicki had been absent, and she wasn't answering her phone. This itself was worrying, but when I was called to Michael's office mid-morning after the arrival of a police car... I knew that it would be about Nicki the minute Janeece fetched me. And when I heard the words 'We suspect that your colleague has been kidnapped'- well, my heart plummeted into my shoes. After what happened a few weeks ago, the police suspected that it was Nicki's stepfather that had taken her, and I was scared for her- I knew what her stepfather had done to her in the past, so goodness knows what he'd do now when he was feeling vengeful.

Deciding that I needed a coffee to be able to last the morning, I trailed out of my room and headed towards the staffroom.  
"I was just about to bring this to you." Sian said when I entered, and I accepted the mug from her with a weak smile, sinking down into one of the red seats.  
"Biscuit?" Matt offered, and I shook my head, but inside I was surprised. The teachers of Waterloo Road giving up their biscuits? Usually offering biscuits was out of the question- they had to be clung on tightly in order for them to remain in the hands of their owner, rather than being stolen (and consumed) by somebody else. Such generosity was astounding- and it was also rather shameful that something bad had to happen before this generosity was bestowed upon others...

* * *

Later, and I was sitting painfully alone in the canteen, picking at a tray of spaghetti bolognaise and salad, when Josh sat opposite me.  
"Dad? Is it true?" He asked worridly. "About Nicki being missing?"  
"Yes, it seems that it is." I said glumly. Josh's eyes widened.  
"Are they searching for her?"  
"Yes, of course."  
"But, they will find her... won't they?"  
"Hopefully, but..." I couldn't continue.  
"But they might not." Josh stated, his voice wobbling.  
"Yeah. They are very good at finding people nowadays, though- and it's not as if Nicki will give up without a fight."  
"No, you're right." Josh said dejectedly. "Well, thanks anyway, for telling me."  
"That's okay. And Josh, please try not to worry."  
"I'll try." He walked off, and I twisted more spaghetti around my fork. How could I expect Josh to follow my advice, when I could even follow it myself?!


	21. Chapter 21

_**Sorry it's a bit short, but hopefully I can upload another chapter soon!**_

**Tom's Point Of View**

The days continued to pass. Each second went by with an agonizingly slow tick of the clock, and every hour seemed to last forever. I was constantly waiting for the phone to ring, desperately hoping for good news but dreading the opposite. Not knowing where Nicki was and not being able to help her was the worst feeling in the world. I would give anything for her to be safe and well, anything at all.

Being without Nicki left a huge empty space in my life. In the mornings, I would look around the staffroom for her, only to find her mug unused, her chair empty. When I thought of something funny or interesting to say to her, she wasn't there for me to tell. When I waited in the queue for lunch, she wasn't there to wait with me. After school, I couldn't chat with her or invite her over for dinner. The lonely evenings were the worst- they seemed to stretch on forever. Even Josh seemed subdued in her absence, and he was often seeking company from his friends, leaving me more alone than ever. I wasn't afraid to admit to myself that I missed having Nicki around. And more than that, I missed her. Her perfect smile, her enticing scent, her musical laugh, her wicked sense of humour, her can-do attitude. I couldn't even imagine what was happening to her right now. I wondered if she was okay. I wondered if I'd ever see her again.

Everyone around me seemed to emanate sympathy and concern, yet they could never understand how I felt. Sure, they missed her, and they hoped she was okay, but they didn't feel it like I did. When I met Nicki, my world had been put into a colourful high definition, but now, without her, it had plunged into a fuzzy black and white. I couldn't be fully absorbed in anything, and smiling was a rare occurrence. Things that used to interest me suddenly paled into insignificance. I had fallen into a deep, dark hole, and only one thing could get me out.


	22. Chapter 22

**Nicki's Point Of View**

My eyes opened, but it took a few seconds for them to adjust to the darkness that surrounded me. Even at midday, the light was dim, and I spent a majority of my waking hours in darkness, not knowing what time- or even what day- it was. At least the darkness meant I couldn't see myself, or the state that I knew I was in. Every inch of me felt sore, and I only moved when I needed to- unless he moved me, of course. I lay on the cold concrete floor, dreading when he would next come in to satisfy his sick little mind.

Right on cue, the door opened and almost as quickly slammed shut again, the key clicking in the lock. A pitiful flashlight shone into the dark basement, revealing it in all of its dingy glory, as heavy footsteps clomped down the stairs. I tensed as he came towards me, but instead of his usual routine, he aimed a kick at my side (which, luckily for him, hit the target) and walked past. I exhaled, relieved, that at least there was a delay before my unavoidable fate.

"You think you've gotten lucky, don't you?!" He said, laughing bitterly. "Oh, if only you knew. Something's happening today, but it's something very... special. A once-in-a-lifetime experience, shall we say."  
I remained silent as he headed further into the basement, going beyond my line of sight.  
"I'm lucky I've managed to find this place," He continued, beginning to do what sounded like drag things around. "It's in such a remote location... here, nobody will hear you scream."  
As I heard these words, a stab of panic flared up inside me. He sounded so menacing, so relentless. As if he would stop at nothing to get revenge.  
"I can only imagine what it'll be like once they find you." I could now hear the sound of liquid being poured. "It'll be all over the news, but I won't have to worry about that, because I'll be far, far away by then."  
He laughed again, a harsh and unforgiving sound, so unlike a laugh should be. Then, I heard an extremely familiar sound, and the panic inside me grew. Ignoring the pain it caused, I turned to look towards him- and then I saw it. The unmistakable sight of a burning flame.

"You're _insane_." I hissed. "You can't do this!"  
"Oh, can't I?" He mocked. "Well, watch me."  
"You'll get caught!"  
"Don't you think I've spent enough hours planning this? Of course I won't get caught. It's a nice, simple way to get rid of you once and for all."  
"You... you..." I started, but the words wouldn't come. I couldn't even begin to express my anger and hatred towards this horrible, twisted man. He didn't even deserve to be called a man. He was a monster.  
"Good night, Nicki. Sweet dreams." He said, and then the door closed behind him. The next second, a whole pile of wood burst into flames. A cold hand gripped my heart as I realised that I was trapped. He was going to leave me here to burn. I was going to die.

The acrid smell of smoke filled my lungs and I coughed, sitting upright and covering my mouth with my hand. I then decided that I had to try and get away from the fire, clinging onto the small shred of hope that there was some way I could escape. Ignoring the screams of agony from my muscles, I began to push myself backwards. It was an excruciatingly slow process, as even though I was ignoring the pain that surged through my entire body, I simply wasn't able to move very far. All the while, the fire raged on, as it hungrily engulfed more and more of the wood. The heat produced was enough to make my whole body feel as if it was burning even though the flames were still several metres away from me. I looked around desperately, my body shaking with sobs as I realised there was nothing I could do to save myself. My head was spinning and I was fast on the way to losing consciousness. I hoped that it would make death less painful.

Suddenly, there was a deafening bang. I was blown backwards, my body hitting something very hard with a lot of impact. Then, the world went black. I couldn't feel anything any more.


	23. Chapter 23

_**Sorry for the short chapter, but I promise there will be more soon! As usual, thank you for the reviews, follows and favourites! :)**_

**Tom's Point Of View**

_I was in a church. The rain poured down outside, seeming to reflect how we all felt. I was standing amidst a sea of black, the colour of mourning, the colour of death. We were all silent as the vicar spoke, but I didn't hear his words. All I could do is stare at the coffin at the front of the church, containing the woman I loved. She was still beautiful, and it looked as if she could climb right out of that wooden box and stand next to me. But of course she couldn't. She wouldn't ever be able to. Then, I watched as the lid was closed over her perfect, expressionless face, and she was carried outside. They put her in the hole that she'd remain in forever, taking her away from me..._

I woke with a start, the images fading from my head as slowly, my breathing became normal again. Even though this wasn't the first nightmare I had had, it still shook me, and brought all the terrible possibilities of what might have happened to Nicki back into my brain. The only thing I'd heard from the police is that they had a possible trail, but that wasn't good enough. Possible was as good as non-existent as far as I was concerned. I couldn't be at peace until they found her.

Knowing that I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, I stumbled downstairs, sinking onto the sofa and sighing heavily. My eyes flicked around the room, and I felt my heart tug when I caught sight of a necklace, a scarf, hair pins. Little pieces of Nicki, so integrated into the rest of our junk that its presence goes unnoticed. There was barely a room in the house that didn't have something of hers in.

My mind occupied by random and unimportant thoughts, I began to doze, and I jumped when I heard the familiar sound of my phone ringing. I reached over to pick it up, immediately knowing what it would be about, due to it being the early hours of the morning. My heart was in my mouth as Chief Inspector Adams, one of the officers who I had spoken to a few times, spoke to me. Then, I heard the words I had been longing for.

"We've found Nicki."


	24. Chapter 24

**Nicki's Point Of View**

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.  
The repetitive noise entered my brain and for a moment I didn't know what it was. Then, I opened my eyes, and saw the white, clean surroundings that could only be the interior of a hospital room.

"Ah, you're awake." A female voice floated across the room and I realised that there was a nurse standing to the side of me. "How are you feeling?"  
"Sore." I answered, my voice croaky after a long period of not speaking. The nurse offered me some water, which I took gladly.  
"I'm not surprised, you did get some burns in the fire and you appeared to have been badly injured beforehand."  
I looked down at myself, expecting to see some terrible damage, but the small amount of skin that wasn't covered by a hospital nightgown or the white bedclothes was only a little pink and shiny. The only bad injuries I could see were the bruises, recent and old, that blossomed over my skin, making it an interesting mix of green and purple.

"What happened?" I asked. "I remember the fire and everything before, but..."  
"We won't have you worrying about that quite yet!" The nurse chuckled. "When you've had some time to rest and recover, the police will be wanting statements and I'm sure they'll tell you what happened. For now, you don't need to think about it. All I'm going to say is that you were extremely lucky in that fire. Nothing worse than first and a few minor second degree burns, and no major damage from that rather nasty impact with a wall. The police team got to you just in time."  
I sat silently, realising just how close to death I had been. The mere recollection of being trapped in that basement made my heart rate become higher.

"Well, it seems that you're in a good condition, all set to heal nicely." The nurse remarked- she had been checking me over whilst she was speaking. "You don't have any agonising pains or anything else that I can't test for?"  
"No, I'm fine, thanks."  
"If you do ever want some pain relief, just call. My name's Gladys."  
"Thank you."  
"Now, do you feel up to having a visitor? I seem to remember that there was a young man waiting anxiously for you to regain consciousness..."  
"Tom." I said. Of course. How must he be feeling?  
"Yes, that was his name. Do you want me to fetch him?"  
"Yes. Please." I said, suddenly feeling nervous at the thought of seeing Tom for the first time in weeks.

When the door re-opened, I turned slowly, and met Tom's eyes. While he looked tired and weary, he also showed obvious signs of relief. He came up to me and wrapped his arms around me, and I leaned into his embrace, breathing in his familiar, comforting smell.  
"Never, ever do that to me again." Tom said, once the hug was over and he was sat in the chair by my bed. "I know it's only been a few weeks but it's been the worst few weeks of my life. I know that must sound really selfish because you've been through far more than I have, but it's true."  
"It's not selfish. It's nice to know that someone cares." I tried to say this lightly but my voice cracked and Tom reached out to squeeze my hand.  
"Of course I care. Everyone else does too. They've missed you, Nicki."  
I managed a weak smile. "I've missed everyone too. Even you."

Tom stayed for a while, and soon we were talking and laughing together like we used to. Even though there would be repercussions of my kidnapping, I already felt that life could continue as usual. I would be spending a couple of days, perhaps a week, in hospital, and I wouldn't be returning to school for a few weeks after that, but it gave me a welcome opportunity to rest and recuperate. But I was home, surrounded by the people I loved and was close to. And that was all that mattered to me.


	25. Chapter 25

_**This is quite a fluffy chapter, I wanted to get this part in though! Thank you all very much for the reviews! :) **_

**Nicki's Point Of View**

My last day in hospital was finally approaching, and of course I wanted nothing better to be out of there and at home. The nurses were nice and so were the other patients that I met, but I had been in hospital too much throughout my life. Besides, there wasn't very much to do when you don't have visitors, hence why I'd read almost a dozen books since being admitted.

"Nicki, we've got a visitor for you." Gladys informed me, and I glanced at the clock. It was 11am on a Thursday, so Tom would be teaching. "Shall I invite her in?"  
"Yes, please." I laid my current book on the table next to me and looked up at the door. The woman who entered looked around thirty, and she had long, wavy brown hair and brown eyes. She was familiar... very familiar. Suddenly, it clicked.  
"Immy?" I asked tentatively.  
"Nicki!" She smiled, looking relieved.  
"I can't believe you're here!" I grinned. "It's been... what, eighteen years?"  
"Yes. I saw you on the news, and I thought- that just has to be Nicki. When it was reported that you had been found, I managed to find out which hospital you were in, and... here I am!"  
"Wow! You're all grown up- I last saw you when you were twelve, thirteen?"  
"More grown up than you would think. I live near Wigan with my husband, Jared, and two kids- Hannah and Joseph. You'll have to come and meet them."

I shook my head. "I can't believe that my little sister is married with kids."  
"I can hardly believe it myself sometimes. What about you? Have you got a special man in your life?"  
"Yes, but it's early days." I admitted. "We've talked about moving in with each other, and hopefully it'll happen soon, but I don't want to get my hopes up."  
"Some day, Nicki, you'll get that white wedding you used to draw." Imogen grinned cheekily.  
"You still remember that?!" I was shocked. "Sadly, I've changed. I'm not that girly any more. Yet I bet you're still as girly as you ever were."  
"You would be correct there. And you wouldn't believe just how pink my little girl's room is!"  
"Let me guess... very?"

As I talked to Imogen, I couldn't believe how much she'd blossomed into a confident young woman. However, underneath she was still the sweet little sister I used to know. It was amazing to see her again after years of giving up hope of ever finding her- and now, because we only lived half an hour away from each other, we could stay as part of each other's lives.


	26. Chapter 26

_**It's taken me ages to upload, I know- but it took me ages to think of how to summarise how Nicki was found, as I didn't think I could beef it up enough to take up a whole chapter! Anyway, as always, I hope you like it! And thank you all for the reviews/follows/favourites :)**_

**Nicki's Point Of View**

It was Saturday morning, and I was gazing out of the window at the trees that were waving around in the fairly strong wind. As they had been doing a lot recently, my thoughts drifted to the events of the past few weeks, stemming from the fire. I knew much more about what had happened after giving a statement to the police and having many meetings with a lawyer to prepare a case. Not that we were in any struggle to win, because basically everyone I had spoken to were sure that my stepfather would be found guilty. He had been caught pretty easily within hours of trying to run, evidently not planning on me being found. But I had been found. It was an extremely lucky coincidence that there had been a passer-by soon after I had been knocked out, who had brought me to safety and then called for the police and, of course, an ambulance. I had met this passer-by once, and it was hard to describe how grateful I felt towards him. He had saved my life. But he wouldn't even talk about repayment, saying that 'having that sick man in prison would be payment enough'.

My thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell, and I smiled, knowing who it'd be. Today was the day that I was moving into Tom's house. Since I stayed at his house quite a lot anyway, especially since the fire (Tom seemed convinced that I needed looking after, despite my protests that I was a grown woman and completely capable of looking after myself), we had decided that it was time to take this next, big step.

"Hi!" Tom said, grinning at me. I knew he was as happy about the move as I was. "Are you ready?"  
"Yep!" I indicated the pile of boxes and bags by the door.  
"Good, we'll take this lot downstairs then." He made a start by picking up one of the boxes closest to him.

Thankfully, I only lived on the second floor, so there weren't too many stairs to carry the stuff down. More problems arose when it came to getting everything in Tom's car, but eventually, after careful planning, we managed to fit it all in. Soon, I was locking up the flat for one last time and giving the keys back to the landlord.  
"Are you sad to be leaving here?" Tom asked.  
"Not when I have the prospect of living in a house with two men, which equates to living in a pig sty, ahead of me!" I joked.  
"I'm sure you'll find that we're not too bad, and if we are, you'll soon train us not to be."  
"You know me so well."

When we arrived at Tom's- sorry, our- house, we decided to take my things in as it was drizzling lightly. However, when we were half done, the heavens opened and huge rain drops started falling down, soaking us straight away. Our calm journey from the car to the front door became a mad dash of trying to get the boxes inside without getting them, or us, wetter than necessary. Eventually, we piled into the hallway with all of the boxes, slightly breathless from running, to find Josh on the stairs, smirking at us.

"Thanks for the help, son." Tom said, as I pushed dripping tendrils of hair off my face.  
"That's okay. You look like a pair of drowned rats." Josh observed. "Haven't you ever heard of an umbrella?"  
"We were carrying boxes, how could we have managed an umbrella as well? Besides, they were heavy boxes- I have no idea what you've possibly got in them, Nicki." Tom rolled his eyes.  
"It's not like I'm moving in or anything!" I laughed. "Anyway, I'm going to get changed out of this wet stuff."  
"Me too." Tom grinned, and Josh suddenly had to get out of the way as two very damp people stampeded up the stairs...


End file.
